Forced Perspective
by TwiLightJoy
Summary: Set post-Winter War/AU. YoruSoi, but kind of not? Co-written by PhoenixChase. Strange events are going on around Soifon and Yoruichi. Who can they trust to help them? Yes, we are almost finished!
1. Wake Up

**Authors' note:** Firstly, yes, more than one author. That is not a typo. This fic is jointly written by myself (TwiLightJoy) and PhoenixChase. We alternate chapters, I do the odd numbered chapters and she does the even numbered chapters. The reason for this will become apparent as the story progresses.

Bleach, of course, belongs to Tite Kubo. We have nothing, we make nothing.

The characters are Japanese, therefore whenever possible we use the Japanese terms rather than the Americanized ones. We also include honorifics and different levels of formality as we feel suits the characters.

This fic is Yoruichi x Soifon. If you are uninterested in the pairing, I suggest you click elsewhere.

Special thanks to BleachAsylum forums and YoruSoi on LJ, you guys rock!

_Chapter title notes:_ All the chapter titles on my side come from Story of the Year songs. Wake Up is on their album The Black Swan.

_

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Will we find out that everything we know exists inside a fraction  
Of a fraction  


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_

Soifon always hated these dreams the most. It was bad enough to have dreams at all - random firings in her brain. Random meant not in her control, which almost always equaled bad. Certainly she was never in control of what her orders were, or where and when Hollows appeared. But her job was to bring order to these situations. Putting things back into control.

Regardless, of all the things she wasn't in conscious control of, dreams often were the worst. Somehow, at random, it managed to pick the very worst things and bring them to vivid life. Take now, for instance. She was lying in a bed, her hair unbraided and flowing in loose waves down her back. Pale sunlight shone through the small, high window on the wall above the bed. It was still quite early, just a bit after sunrise. Birds chirped cheerfully to signal the start of a new day. Everything seemed normal - everything except one. She was not alone in the bed.

Well, and it wasn't her bed. That was also a little odd, but in dreams these things happened, and were usually within the realm of things she could deal with. The room seemed to belong to the person who lay beside her, although for some reason it wasn't in Soul Society but rather in the living world. She'd seldom seen Yoruichi with her hair down, save for in much older times, when it was too short to be held in its now-customary ponytail. She'd imagined Yoruichi would still manage to look stunning in her sleep. Instead her deep purple hair was in rumpled disarray. Her dark limbs were flung out in illogical directions, not at all curled like a cat as Soifon had expected. Her face was lined with marks from the pillows and sheets, and her lips were parted slightly. She appeared to be … drooling.

What sort of nightmare was this? As she began to get a bearing for her surroundings - always practical even in her sleep - Yoruichi thrashed about, rolling from her back onto her side, smacking Soifon across the stomach. Restlessly the Goddess of Flash pawed at her hair, tossing it out of her way and off of her neck. She mumbled and then finally settled, sighing in satisfaction. One arm had wrapped tightly around Soifon's waist. At this Soifon noted that she didn't have anything on, nor did Yoruichi. Even with all the inconsistencies, it still seemed that it was another of _those_ dreams.

She slowly tried to extricate herself from her former mentor's grasp. Try being the operative word. As she gently attempted to disengage Yoruichi's fingers, the older woman loosened her grip from the younger's waist, only to sleepily thread her fingers through Soifon's own. She mumbled a bit more, smiled, and rolled again, this time bumping her forehead hard against the Chinese girl's collarbone.

"Unh!" she groaned, one golden eye finally halfway open. Soifon stared down at her quizzically, wondering when she'd wake up. "Nng. Soi." Yoruichi's other eye slowly opened as well. "S'too early." Both eyelids lowered again and her grip on Soifon's hand tightened. "C'm back t' sleep."

"I ah … need to use the restroom."

"Mmm. 'Kay." Finally she was permitted up. Gray eyes scanned around the room for her clothing. Or anything she could put on, she wasn't feeling that selective at the moment. Clothes were scattered in a trail from the bedroom door to the foot of the bed, but Soifon didn't recognize any of them. She picked up the smaller of the two shirts and threw it over her head, pulling it on. After that she spotted a pair of black shorts hanging off a short bookshelf, and pulled those hastily on as well. Coming to the door, she noted at least it was locked. She unlocked it and continued out.

Deciding she better have a look around, Soifon made her way out of the bedroom and into a hallway. The first thing she heard was a faint snoring noise that seemed to come from further ahead. The carpeting in the hall was cream-colored and surprisingly very thin. The walls were a bland shade of yellow, and some type of cable snaked its was along the floor. On her left was a closed door from which no sound could be heard. From behind another closed door on the right she heard muffled talking and clicking, although only one voice was present. It sounded suspiciously like Urahara Kisuke - she decided to let that lie for a moment as she padded softly down the hallway, the snoring increasing in volume as she made her way towards the end.

The hallway opened up into a medium-sized room. Mismatched chairs and an exceedingly ugly couch were set out around a large television. Five small black boxes were placed around the walls of the room, among framed photographs and pictures. Various odd-shaped things Soifon didn't recognize were strewn across the floor, as well as what appeared to be musical instruments, though she wasn't sure how they might work, since they lacked strings. An immense and very real-looking drum set was in the corner. And the now nearly eardrum-shattering snoring emanated from the couch.

Soifon peeked over the back of the couch to see a heap of empty cans that stank of alcohol, and a person partially under a blanket. A pair of feet poked out one end of the blanket and shaggy black hair out the other. Suddenly the person stirred, nearly falling off the couch. One leg shot out, pushing against the floor while an arm grabbed at the back of the sofa, half-sitting and half-pushing herself back onto the multicolored monstrosity. The blanket fell from the occupant's face to reveal Shiba Kuukaku. Her blue eyes focused briefly on Soifon before snapping back shut, slowly reclining back to a lying position and grabbing two fistfuls of the blanket to pull back over her head.

Wait. Two?

"Fong," Kuukaku practically growled from beneath the blanket. "Go back ta bed f'r gods sake. It's too early fer me ta deal with ya."

This … was a really weird dream. Soifon made her way through the living room into a kitchen area. A small table was strewn with several thick, complicated-looking textbooks and papers with formulas scribbled hastily across them. A larger table further in seemed to be one used for eating. It was actually clean, as was the rest of the kitchen. She didn't look into any of the cupboards, for fear anything else unexpected should be waiting for her inside.

Finally she arrived at the restroom, on the far end of the house. She peered at her reflection and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She found a comb and ran it through her hair, and thought about putting the braids back in, but she wasn't sure where her hoops were and decided it could wait. Maybe the hoops were in Yoruichi-sama's room, she thought, and decided she might as well head back there. Passing back through the living room, Soifon noted Kuukaku was once again snoring facedown on the wretchedly-colored couch. Sure enough, Kuukaku did have a right arm, and it hung off the side of the couch, her fingertips grazing the thin carpet. As she passed by the next closed door, she heard much less amiable-sounding chatter from the other side. Unable to resist, she knocked gently on the door, and it creaked open under her touch.

"No, I told you I was out of mana! Why didn't you stop pulling, I'm your main heal! ... How can it be MY fault we wiped if you decided to keep pulling anyway?" Indeed it was Urahara, wearing a headset hooked to a computer and chattering away at someone not in the room about who knew what - and oddly enough, in English rather than Japanese. Seeing her in the doorway, he clicked a button on the cable and raised his eyebrows in concern. He changed back to Japanese with barely a pause. "Oh, Soi-chan! I'm sorry, did I wake you? I'll try to keep it down. I know you guys were probably _up pretty late_ last night." He winked suggestively and waved her off. Clicking the button again, he returned to his English rant at a noticeably quieter volume. "Scouting? You know how those mobs aggro! At least have the tank kite it for you until I have enough mana to sleep it!" Soifon pulled the door closed once more and, unsure what else to do, went back into Yoruichi's room.

Come to think of it, the dream should have changed by now. Usually they changed pretty fast. A somewhat puzzled Soifon quietly closed the door behind her and padded over to the bed. The dark-skinned woman looked half-awake now. Her topaz eyes flicked up to Soifon and a grin plastered itself across her face. The pillow-marks had faded a bit, but her hair was as messy as before. "There you are. Come back to bed," she said invitingly. "Aww, you look so cute in my shorts."

Obediently, Soifon sat down on the bed, and Yoruichi grabbed her hand, then trailed the fingers of her opposite hand across Soifon's palm. She was making it hard not to give in and lie down. She decided to change the subject, but she did allow Yoruichi to continue touching her. It felt very nice even though it tickled. "Shiba Kuukaku-san is asleep on the couch." She didn't mention that Kuukaku had both her arms.

Yoruichi laughed. "I know, sometimes she just passes out there. She snores like a chainsaw, I'm surprised I've gotten used to it. I'm sorry if she bothered you. Same with Kisuke, at least you didn't have to hear him when his raid fell apart. That's kinda what got me up." Her fingers trailed lightly up Soifon's arm and back down. "Now that we're up … we can sleep in." She planted a kiss in Soifon's palm.

"Hmm," Soifon said agreeably, still looking around the room. A flat-panel television was mounted to the wall, and beneath it was a stand with several machines on it. Shelves similar to the short bookshelf lined one wall, but there weren't many actual books. Instead countless uniformly sized cases stood side by side. Soifon couldn't fathom what they were for, but then again she had never spent too much time in the living world. She wondered at how she could fabricate this much detail to something so unfamiliar.

She found herself being pulled backwards onto the bed by her Goddess. She didn't resist. Nor did she resist when she felt Yoruichi-sama's lips pressing softly against her own. They wrapped their arms around each other, then Yoruichi pulled back and gently kissed Soifon's forehead. "Tell me when you fell in love with me."

Soifon felt her cheeks warm. "In love? Hm, it was a hundred and twenty-four years ago, in the spring, when I knew." Yoruichi-sama's breath was warm on her cheek, and she snuggled closer against her love, allowing herself to enjoy this part of her dream.

Yoruichi laughed. "You're so silly, Soi." She kissed the Chinese girl on the tip of her nose. "For me it was at the beginning of last semester. I can't believe it took you so long to catch on. I thought I'd have to buy out your entire store for you to notice me." She gestured to the shelves Soifon had been looking at before.

"My … store?"

Yoruichi grinned. "Ah, we can pretend it doesn't exist for right now. I'm happier here anyway."

Soifon nodded. "Me too. This is a really nice dream," she commented.

"Mmm. It isn't a dream, my little bee." The purple-haired woman kissed Soifon's neck and slid a hand underneath the dark-haired girl's t-shirt. "It's very, very real."

Soifon tugged at the hem of the shirt, pulling it upwards and over her head, tossing it onto the floor beside the bed. "It sure feels real, Yoruichi-sama. But of course it isn't." She sighed happily anyway, satisfied for the time to take what she could get. She could be upset once she woke up, for being so weak.

Yoruichi smiled. "You called me 'sama.'" She pulled her smaller lover tight against her, loving the still-new feeling of Soi's body reacting to her own. "And would you like me to show you just how real this is?" She lowered her lips to Soi's collarbone.

Soifon nodded eagerly, giving herself over to this momentary pleasure. "Mmm, that feels so good. I thought you hated being called 'sama' though." She shivered with delight as her Goddess moved across her collarbone towards her shoulder.

"I don't hate it. Actually, the way you say it, I think it's kinda sexy." Once she reached Soi's shoulder, she suddenly stopped and pulled away. "Wait. Where's your butterfly?"

"What? My butterfly?" Soifon asked in confusion.

Yoruichi paled. "Your tattoo. The homounka."

"Yoruichi-sama, I don't have any tattoos."


	2. Stranger in a Strange Land

**A/N:** This chapter is written by PhoenixChase.  
Italics = Yoruichi's thoughts  
Bold Italics = Zanpakuto spirit "talking" to Yoruichi

* * *

Omaeda Marechiyo jumped, startled, as Shihouin Yoruichi suddenly appeared in front of him. "Taichou!" he exclaimed, and stood at attention as quickly as he could, hiding his bag of crackers behind him. Sweat beaded his brow as he awaited the reprimand he was sure was coming his way. Soifon Taichou always got on his case about them, so he was sure Yoruichi Taichou would as well. Recently he'd stopped carrying them, but today, both his Taichous had been running late, so he'd been eating them while he waited. It was just his (bad) luck that Yoruichi Taichou had shown up when she did.

Yoruichi grinned, amused. Even though it was routine for the squad to start training around this time of day, she still startled Omaeda every time she showed up. The nervous look on his face because of the crackers just made it even better. She bit off part of a cracker that Omaeda hadn't even seen her take and tried not to laugh at how much he was squirming. "Hey, these are pretty good," she said, deciding to give him a break. Omaeda's relief was almost visible.

Yoruichi smirked before looking around. "Where's Soi? It's not like her to be late," she remarked, her expression more serious. "I wonder what's taking her so long."

"I don't know, but I think she's still in her personal quarters," Omaeda answered, trying to be helpful.

"You didn't bother to check on her?" Yoruichi asked, raising one finely arched eyebrow questioningly.

"_Me_? Check on _her_? Of course not! Taichou would kill me if I entered her personal quarters, no matter what the reason was," Omaeda explained.

"She probably would," Yoruichi conceded, a grin returning to her face as she thought of Soi's temper. "_I'll_ go check." Her tone changed to one of seriousness. "In the meantime, please go on ahead and get everyone started with today's training."

"Hai, Taichou!" Omaeda replied, automatically bowing, even though she had already left. He had learned very quickly that she was a stricter taichou than her normal easy-going manner would suggest. In fact, after seeing her in action, he'd realized where Soifon Taichou got her training ideology from. Briefly Omaeda wondered what terrible thing he must have done in a past life to deserve his current situation; it was the first time in the history that a squad in Soul Society had ever had two taichous at once, and it would have to be the squad he was in, and with two of the strictest taichous. He stopped himself from thinking on it too long and hurried away so as to not get in trouble in case the two people in question came back before he could leave.

Yoruichi, meanwhile, walked into Soi's quarters, not bothering to knock. Her eyes fell upon an unusual sight: Soi was still asleep. _Still sleeping? I wonder if she's sick_, Yoruichi thought, eyes suddenly dark with concern. She couldn't feel Soi's reiatsu, but that in itself was not worrisome; she and Soi both were masters at masking it. Quietly, she walked up to Soi and looked at the younger woman. At a quick glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then she noticed something on Soi's neck and leaned in for a closer examination. _Is that…a_ bite _mark_? Yoruichi wondered. _Maybe she was bitten by a Hollow?_ Before she could ponder the bite mark further, the person underneath her stirred. Yoruichi jumped back before Soi could sit up and bump into her.

"It's about time, sleepy-head," Yoruichi teased. "Forget to set your alarm?"

Soi looked at her, gray eyes puzzled. "Yoru-chan?" She looked around the room. "Where are we?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened. Something was definitely wrong. The Soi she knew would never use that honorific with her. "What do you mean? This is your room," Yoruichi answered carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. Aizen Sosuke was gone, but that didn't mean she shouldn't worry about someone else trying to harm Soul Society or her. Trying to get to her through Soi wouldn't be unlikely. But, it could just be something as simple as amnesia. Or, it could even be a practical joke involving some sort of gigai or mod soul. She wouldn't put it past Kisuke.

"But this doesn't look like my room. Besides, we were at your place last night," Soi said. "And it doesn't look like your room, either." She slipped out from beneath the covers and stood up, walking around the room.

Her current state of nudity did not seem to be a problem for her, but it made Yoruichi blush, surprisingly. While it was certainly true that the thought of Soi appearing nude in front of her had crossed her mind, she'd never quite envisioned it like this. If Soi was going to be nude, she wanted it under the right conditions. As it was now, it was too out of character for Yoruichi to take any enjoyment from it. She averted her eyes and contemplated the situation. What was going on? Was this really some kind of joke? But while it was easy enough to imagine Kisuke doing something like this, Yoruichi had a hard time believing Soi would go along with it.

"This is a beautiful wakizashi. Whose is it?" Soi's voice broke Yoruichi out of her thoughts. Yoruichi looked in her direction. Soi stood with her back to Yoruichi and was examining a sword that Yoruichi knew to be the unreleased form of Suzumebachi.

Yoruichi tensed. If Kisuke really was behind this, there was no way he would overlook something as important as a zanpakuto. Then Yoruichi's eyes widened as she noticed something else; there was a homounka on Soi's left shoulder.

_**I'm sure you've realized by now, but that's not your Little Bee**_, a deep, masculine voice suddenly spoke up in her jumped.

"What?" she couldn't help but ask out loud. "What do you mean?" Her hand went automatically to her own zanpakuto, which was at her side.

_**Just what I said**_, the voice replied.

The person in question turned and looked at Yoruichi quizzically. "Are you talking to me? That's the second time you've asked me that. Am I missing something?"

Yoruichi ignored her in favor of the other voice. "How can you be sure?" she asked, looking at her zanpakuto with a questioning face.

_**I can't sense Suzumebachi's presence**_, was the reply.

"Are you…talking to a _sword_?" the imposter Soi asked. "You're acting pretty weird, Yoru-chan." She walked up to Yoruichi and studied her for a moment. "Wait…you're not…Yoru-chan, are you?" She looked a little scared suddenly.

"No. Yes? I mean, I am Yoruichi, but you don't call me Yoru-chan. Or rather, my Soi doesn't call me that." She looked at the girl before her. "But I look exactly like her? Your Yoruichi, I mean."

"Yes," the dark-haired girl nodded. "Well, mostly," she then amended. "You look older, a little."

"That's strange. I was just thinking the opposite of you compared to my Soi. You look younger." She frowned. What did this mean?

"Oh! This reminds me of that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where regular Willow met Vamp Willow in an alternate universe," Soi mused out loud.

"Alternate universe?" Yoruichi repeated, mind racing in thought. She wondered if such a thing was possible. There were only two people she could think of to ask. "Why don't you get dressed? We need to talk to Kisuke about this."

"Kisuke? Urahara Kisuke?" Soi asked, surprised. "You have one here, too?" Then the surprise faded. "I guess that's not all that surprising. There were alternate universe versions of Buffy and Xander in that episode, too." She turned around, dubiously eyeing the neatly folded pile of clothes that had been laid out for the other Soi. "Is that like what you're wearing? I don't know if I know how to put that on."

Yoruichi couldn't help but smile a little. "Don't worry. I'll help you." It was a little more awkward than she expected, as she had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't her Soi in front of her. Thankfully it didn't take long.

Soi looked at the wakizashi on its stand. "I guess that's your Soi's? Should I be wearing it?"

Yoruichi looked at her with a degree of seriousness that Soi had never seen from Yoru-chan. "Do you know how to use a sword?"

"No, I haven't been trained with weapons," Soi shook her head.

"Leave it here, then. You should never carry any kind of weapon if you can't use it. When you carry a weapon, you become a target. You have to be prepared for the possibility that you may have to kill someone or something with it."

Soi thought about it for a moment and then looked appalled. "You both have swords! Does that mean you kill people? What are you?" she asked.

Yoruichi looked at her sympathetically, but couldn't help being slightly amused. "Relax. We're the good guys. We protect people from monsters," she explained, keeping it simple.

Soi relaxed a little. "Oh. That's a relief." She blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry. I guess I should have expected that, since I hardly think myself or Yoru-chan to be bad, so why would you be?"

Yoruichi grinned. "Don't worry about it. Now that you're dressed, let's go see Kisuke and see if we can't figure out something," she said. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as a thought occurred to her. "I'm guessing you don't know what shunpo is?" Soi shook her head. "Well, we need to hurry to Kisuke's, so we're going to travel by shunpo. I'll have to carry you."

She picked Soi up suddenly, eliciting a surprised squeak from the girl. "Hold on tight, ok? This might feel weird." Soi obeyed and Yoruichi took off, shunpoing towards the Shiba home, where Kisuke had taken up residence. For the Goddess of Flash, it only took a few steps, and they were there in seconds.


	3. Take Me Back

**A/N:** Standard disclaimer, I don't own Bleach of the fantastic amazing characters.

Chapter title credit goes to Story of the Year. Take Me Back is off their album In the Wake of Determination.

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_I thought that time stood still, sheltered, protected  
They never told me this would end or that the leaves would fall again._

_

* * *

  
_

Yoruichi wanted to scream, wanted to kick this imposter out of her bed, her room, her home. She felt sick to her stomach, what they'd just been about to do and she hadn't even noticed. "Of course you have a tattoo. You got it after the accident." What was going on here?

Soifon clutched the sheet around her, suddenly feeling frightened, not knowing what had gone wrong. "Please, Yoruichi-sama, what accident?" This was starting to grate on Soifon's senses, this dream that refused to stop. It was starting to seem too real, like maybe it wasn't a dream at all. Nausea began to claw at her gut.

"When Yun died," the older woman answered, her eyes filling up with unshed tears. How could this have happened? Was something wrong with Soi, or wrong with _her?_ Amnesia? No, tattoos don't just disappear. She knew it, knew something horrible had happened. And she'd just been kissing this … this _stranger_ wearing her Soi's face.

Yes, something was definitely wrong. Yun had been the brother closest in age to Soifon, when she had been called Fon Shaolin. He had been three years older. He had also been the one who had lasted the longest in the Onmitsukido. They'd gone through the most together, shared in each triumph and in each loss. It had been nearly a hundred and twenty-six years since he had died. Shortly after his death, she had decided she would give all she had to Yoruichi-sama, to prove the Fon clan's worth to her. "Yun … it's been so long," she breathed.

Yoruichi shook her head, tears finally spilling over. "Soi, it was barely a year ago. You still cry over it every time it rains. Who _are _you?" She pulled away and leaned against the wall, wrapping herself in the comforter. She pulled her legs up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly.

"I - I'm Soifon. Formerly Fon Shaolin, my family has been in servitude to yours for nine generations." These were facts, simple, plain. And she saw Yoruichi's face crumple as she heard them, the tears coming faster, her head shaking in denial. Never had Soifon seen Yoruichi-sama cry before. It was unsettling to say the least. This really couldn't be Yoruichi-sama.

"No, no," she cried. "You _are _Fong Shaolin. You're MY Soi. You're my bee. You're my everything! Please," she wept, "please be her again."

Soifon reached out to comfort Yoruichi, and was hurt when the dark-skinned woman recoiled from her touch. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sa-- san. I don't know what all of this means. But … I don't think I'm going to wake up, am I? It really isn't a dream." She pulled the sheet up around her and sat on the edge of the bed, her back now to Yoruichi. She felt so alone, so full of dread at the possibility of never seeing _her_ Yoruichi-sama again. They could never be together now. Her stomach lurched. She picked up the shirt she'd easily tossed aside moments ago, and slipped it back on, not noticing that it was now inside-out. She felt she would have to dash across the house again soon.

Yoruichi shook her head, trying to get her breathing under control. "No, no, it isn't a dream," she managed, gulping down tears and sobs. "Yesterday … yesterday was our six-month anniversary."

Time seemed to run differently here, to be more like the living world. _Wait. _An idea struck Soifon. _If this is like the living world, then I ought to be in a gigai. Then, I ought to be able to get out of the gigai. And I ought to be able to go to Soul Society and get help. There _must _be a way to undo this. _She tried to will her spirit out of the body, but found she couldn't. Maybe she was too panicky, needed to slow down and try it again. She steadied her breathing and focused, but still nothing. She wasn't able to budge from the body.

Yoruichi, this place's Yoruichi, was still hunched over with tears streaking slowly down her face. Soifon shifted backwards, on the verge of tears herself, and leaned against the wall beside the dark-skinned woman. This time she wasn't pushed away. "I'm really sorry. I can't get to the spirit world to get help. I'm stuck here." She felt so completely helpless. Even Suzumebachi was silent.

"You tried to go to the spirit world? How did you figure you could do that?" Yoruichi asked, wiping her face with the back of her hand. This fake Soi was crazy, but she seemed real enough. Rationally, Yoruichi was sure that the stranger was feeling just as disoriented, frightened, and ill as she did.

Soifon sighed. "It's a long story, but I think I drew too many parallels between myself and … _your_ Soi … that aren't there." She quietly set to braiding her hair, starting with the left side, to try and give herself some sense of normality back. Surely they could do _something_ to set things right, if she could only calm down and think it through. "Things seem like they work differently here than in my world." The concept of more than one world existing side by side was nothing out of the ordinary for Soifon, but ending up in an unknown other world, without knowing how she'd gotten there or how to get back, was frightening.

Now a bit curious, Yoruichi looked cautiously at this stranger. "So, earlier … you said you'd been in love with me for a hundred and some years. You sounded so _honest_. How could that be? How old are you?"

Soifon looked up from her braiding into those beautiful topaz eyes, so like her Yoruichi-sama's. "I'm about 150 years old - still relatively young. I knew it, time does move differently here," she commented upon seeing Yoruichi's reaction. "I was born into a family serving yours - or, rather, my world's Shihouin family. They are high nobles, my family serves them by protecting them. All five of my brothers and I were obligated to serve you - _her_ - in this way. And all five of my brothers died in her service."

Golden eyes widened at this information. Her Soi was very close with her remaining four brothers, especially so since Yun had passed away. "All of them!? And you? You said you can go to the spirit world. Does that mean you died, too?"

Soifon shook her head, finishing the left braid up. "No, our world is … well, it's sort of split in half. The world of the living is similar to your world here. Physical. Then there is the world of spirits, called Soul Society. I was born in Soul Society, as a spirit-being. I'm very much not dead." She proficiently split the remaining hair into three equal sections and began plaiting it. "But I don't fear death. Don't get me wrong, I don't _want _to die. But I would gladly protect Yoruichi-sama with my life if need be."

"Let me get this straight. She's the reason all your brothers are dead, and you don't hate her?" The purple-haired young woman was having trouble wrapping her mind around the idea.

"No!" Soifon looked surprised at the very idea. "Yoruichi-sama is not at fault for my family's weakness. She is powerful yet gentle, she is kind but shows her enemies no mercy. She was the protector of the realm, those under her command are employed in the most dangerous missions, but the most essential for the continued safety of all of Soul Society as well as the living world. I say I was obligated to serve her, but after seeing her, after knowing her, if my familial obligation were to disappear, still I would have stayed at her side until my life ended."

Seeing how strongly she felt about the other world's Yoruichi made the girl's heart feel a bit stronger. If this Soifon had traded places with her Soi, then a few things were sure. First and most importantly, she was not dead. And secondly, she would at least have a familiar face nearby to help her, so maybe something could be figured out on their end if nothing could be done here. Maybe she wouldn't feel quite so alone. She wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her hand. "And you're in love with her, too, the same as us."

Soifon's cheeks turned pink rapidly at this. "Well, I _did_ say I was in love with her. I never said she returned my feelings." She finished off the right braid and flicked it over her shoulder, trying to keep emotion out of her voice.

"You've been in love with her for more than a hundred years! You can't tell me you've never told her. Or that she hasn't noticed. Time might be different there, but a hundred years is still a long time. I know she sounds important and all, but she can't be that aloof."

Soifon laughed. "'Aloof' is not a word I would use to describe Yoruichi-sama. In fact, she always tells me I am too formal. The first day I was in her direct service, in her personal guard, she told me I was to address her by her first name!" She shook her head in disbelief at the memory, recalling just how down-to-earth her Goddess was. "It was all I could do to address her as Yoruichi-sama, instead of Guundanchou. Anyway, I never had the chance to work up the courage. For the bulk of those years I was busy trying to convince myself that I hated her."

"I think my Soi did a little of that herself. I had my work cut out for me at first." Yoruichi sat a little straighter now, still wrapped in the blanket but beginning to relax a little bit. Believing that her Soi was safe in Soifon's world had eased her mind a lot. "I met her shortly after Yun had died. She had just come back to work from bereavement. She owns a store, they sell electronics there. Maybe you noticed Kisuke, he's got a habit for video games that verges on unhealthy. He's sort of got me hooked on them now, too. So one day after class, he drags me into this store across the street from campus, and behind the counter is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. But when she looks up, her eyes are just so sad it makes you wanna start crying."

Soifon nodded, absorbed in the story.

"Well, I had to find out about her. I mean, no one that gorgeous should ever look so broken inside. You could see she hurt, bad. So I started coming by pretty frequently. Like I said, I practically had to buy her store out of everything shiny before she'd notice the people in it. I thought she'd try to get a restraining order against me for a while there, she was so unreceptive. Then once the rainy season passed, she'd start to come out of it more. I finally convinced her to go have coffee with me, got to know her a bit more. Once she gave in to one date, we kinda hit it off, which was great. Soon enough, her brothers started saying stuff like 'you break her heart…'" She smiled. "You know, those kind of big brother protective threats. So I had to wear her down for a while, but she's been so much happier since. Her brothers have all told me it's thanks to me she's smiling again, so they don't disapprove as much as they let me think."

"And you said you've been together for six months?" Soifon inquired. It seemed like such a small thing to her, six months. How young it made her counterpart seem, to celebrate it. And yet, if she could be with her Yoruichi-sama, she had no doubt she would celebrate each day.

Yoruichi nodded, her smile clouded with sadness. "She took yesterday and today off, so we could celebrate."

Soifon felt herself grin against the hurt she was feeling. "I noticed you seemed in a 'celebratory' mood when you woke up. Urahara-san said you'd been up late last night 'celebrating' too?"

"Ugh, he heard us," Yoruichi blushed and adjusted the blanket around her. "Please don't think badly of me. I know to you it must seem like Soi and I are both children and barely know each other. Last night was our first time."

"I'm so sorry this happened." Soifon felt regret not just for her own loss, but now for her counterpart and this world's Yoruichi as well. Their love was still so new, they didn't deserve the pain of this separation. She became even more determined to set things right. "But I don't think you are children. You're … very much a woman." Her face reddened again. "You seemed to know me - her - very well." All the countless times she had imagined Yoruichi's hands, her lips, on Soifon's body, she hadn't known how truly perfect it might feel. This girl seemed to know just where to touch her, exactly where to kiss and how hard, and Soifon envied this world's Soi, that she might experience the pleasure of being Yoruichi's lover even for one night.

Yoruichi seemed quite embarrassed at this statement, but pleased as well. "Your Yoruichi … she never even kissed you?" she asked quietly. "Over a hundred years, I'd never be able to resist Shaolin that long."

"My Lady never um, requested my service in that way."

"But she could have?"

Soifon nodded in confirmation. "She could have. I'd gladly have given myself to her, had she asked."

"Your Yoruichi must be considerably more patient than me. Maybe she was waiting for you to make the first move."

"If that's the case, then it's no wonder it's been so long," Soifon noted with a somewhat bitter smirk.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Urahara's voice called out, "Hey, are you guys decent? I need to ask you something, Yoru-chan!" Without pausing for an answer, the door rattled and pushed open. Soifon hadn't remembered to lock it.

Soifon leaped up and grabbed a pillow, throwing it with astonishing accuracy at the opening door exactly where Kisuke's face was about to appear. "No, you dolt! You didn't even wait for an answer! What kind of pervert are you?"

"The curious kind!" Kisuke laughed and pushed on anyway, to see a clothed Soi standing squarely between him and Yoruichi, whose clothes - at least, those not on Soi - were still strewn on the floor.

"I'm serious! Get out! At least let her get dressed first!" Soifon threatened, grabbing another pillow.

Kisuke threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, don't shoot! I'm backing away slowly!" He stepped backwards out again, and Soifon slammed the door shut and locked it.


	4. Complicated

**A/N:** This chapter is written by PhoenixChase.  
Italics = Yoruichi's thoughts  
Bold Italics = Zanpakuto spirit "talking" to Yoruichi

* * *

Soi looked at the house in front of her in bewilderment. It looked preposterous. There were two giant arms on either side, holding up a banner with a name on it: Shiba Kuukaku. "Kuukaku lives in _that_?" she asked, incredulous. Somehow, it reminded her of the hideous couch back at home that Kuukaku usually slept on. She made a face.

Yoruichi laughed at her reaction. "Yes, this is where Kuukaku, Ganju, and Kisuke live."

"I should have known. It seems her taste is just as strange as it is in my world," Soi said with a chuckle. "You should see the kind of furniture she has. It's about as ugly as this is." She shook her head thinking about it.

Yoruichi grinned. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. But don't let her hear you say that!" She motioned for Soi to follow her, and stepped into the house. Inside, the first thing Soi noticed was a set of stairs, indicating that the rooms were in fact underground. Yoruichi led Soi down the stairs and through a long hallway before stopping at door near the end. "This is Kisuke's lab," she explained, knocking on the door. A muffled sound that could have been anything came from the other side. Yoruichi took it as an invitation and opened the door. "Kisuke, I have a problem for you," she announced.

A shaggy blond head popped up from behind a pile of papers that were on a desk. "I might have an answer," Kisuke replied lightly. His eyes moved to Soi and he grinned knowingly. "You don't need my help for _that_, Yoruichi-san. Love bite marks are easily disguised by make-up or turtleneck sweaters. No need for a gigai there."

Soi's hand went to her neck automatically, while Yoruichi stared at Kisuke in confusion until she realized what he meant. Then she blushed. "I didn't do that!" she protested. "And that's not why I came here. I mean it is, but not like that. Let me explain."

Kisuke raised an eyebrow, noting that Yoruichi was unusually flustered while Soi was surprisingly unembarrassed. "_You_ didn't do it? But how would anyone else get close enough and live to tell about it?" He scratched his head, puzzled. He knew Soi well enough to know that she had no interest in anyone except Yoruichi. "Ok, you've got my curiosity piqued. Let's hear it." He looked at Yoruichi expectantly.

"This might seem crazy, but this isn't our Soi. I think she may be from an alternate universe," Yoruichi stated.

"The bite mark is from Yoru-chan," Soi explained. "That's what I call my Yoruichi," she added, seeing Kisuke make a surprised face.

"Yoru-chan," Kisuke repeated slowly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "There's no way Soi would call you that, Yoruichi-san."

"See? That's what tipped me off," Yoruichi said.

"Is there anything else of note that I should know about?" Kisuke asked. He was talking to Yoruichi, but kept his eyes on Soi, his curiosity more intent than it had been previously. He was starting to go into scientist mode, Yoruichi could tell.

"She didn't know who Suzumebachi belonged to. And Shishi no Tsume told me he couldn't sense Suzumebachi."

Soi wasn't sure what they were talking about, but from Kisuke's expression, she gathered it was rather shocking. He seemed about to say something, but Yoruichi cut him off as she remembered something else.

"Hold that thought for a moment. I should really go check in on the squad, and then tell Yama-jii about this," she said.

"What are you going to tell him?" Kisuke asked curiously.

Yoruichi shrugged. "The truth for now, I guess. I'm sure you can figure this out." She gave him a mock stern look. "Don't do anything before I come back." Then she disappeared.

"Was that…shunpo?" Soi asked, recalling what Yoruichi had said earlier. "Can all of you do that?" she questioned curiously.

Kisuke grinned. "Well, yes and no. Most of us can use shunpo, but not to the same degree as Yoruichi. She's known as the Shunshin. Even carrying someone, she can't be caught if she doesn't want to be. I imagine that's how you got here, right?" He studied Soi in benign fascination. "There's nothing like that in your world?"

Soi shook her head. "Not in real life. In science fiction novels and TV shows, it seems like it would be similar to teleportation. Or it might be comparable to superhuman speed associated with vampires and other mythical creatures."

Kisuke brightened. "Oh, so there is something else similar in our worlds! When I was in the world of the living, there were a lot of shows like that."

"World of the living? What's that?" Soi asked.

Kisuke looked surprised. "Yoruichi-san didn't tell you about it?" he asked. Then he shook his head. "Well, no, I guess she wouldn't have had the time." He motioned for Soi to take a seat, and started explaining. "This world is made up of two co-existing dimensions. One is Soul Society, which is where we are now. The other dimension is more similar to your world, and is usually referred to as the world of the living. The Soul Society exists to protect those in the world of the living."

"Yoruichi said something about protecting people from monsters earlier. Is that what she meant?" Soi asked.

Kisuke raised an eyebrow. "Monsters? That's one way of putting it." He thought about the best way to explain it. "In the world of the living, when people die, sometimes they are unable to cross over for one reason or another and remain in the world of the living as ghosts. In such cases, Shinigami are sent from Soul Society to escort them by performing konso. But sometimes, when a Shinigami is unable to reach a ghost in time, the ghosts are overcome by some emotion; sometimes anger, sometimes sorrow; sometimes regret; and they turn into beings known as Hollows. Hollows are monsters that prey on human souls. It is a Shinigami's duty to eliminate Hollows."

"So that's why you carry swords?" Soi asked.

"Zanpakutos," Yoruichi corrected, reappearing suddenly and hearing the tail end of the conversation.

Kisuke couldn't help but jump a little. "That was fast. What did the old man say?" he asked after he recovered.

"He wants you to work on finding a solution, and for us to update him with any findings," Yoruichi stated cheerfully. "So, why don't we get started?" she suggested.

Kisuke noticed that despite her mood, she avoided looking at Soi, and wondered if there was more that she wasn't saying. There was an emotion in her eyes that reminded him of something he couldn't quite put a finger on. Maybe he would ask her about it later. He frowned and turned his attention back to Soi.

"Yes, that is why we carry zanpakutos," he answered, continuing their previous conversation. "They aren't ordinary swords, however. A zanpakuto is an extension of one's soul; therefore, each Shinigami's zanpakuto is unique. Now, Yoruichi-san told me earlier that her zanpakuto spirit could not sense Soi's. So I am going to see if my zanpakuto spirit, Benihime, has the same problem."

Yoruichi tuned them out. When she'd lied and told Omaeda that Soi was simply not feeling well, he'd asked if she would be back the next day. It seemed like such a simple question at the time, and she'd easily lied again and said yes. But now she had time to think about it. What if it really was a lie? This wasn't like a hundred years ago; back then, she'd at least had the comfort of knowing she would be able to see Soi again someday, and it had dulled the pain to something manageable. But what if Soi wasn't able to come back this time? What if she got stuck in the alternate universe? All of Yoruichi's old regrets came rushing back, and the pain was nearly unbearable. A sharp pain flared in her palms, and she almost hissed as she realized her nails were biting into her skin from clenching her fists so hard. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to focus on what was going on in front of her. Luckily, neither Kisuke nor Soi had noticed Yoruichi's actions, so she didn't have to explain herself.

Benihime had confirmed for Kisuke that Suzumebachi was not present, so he was moving onto the next step. "I hope you're not squeamish," Kisuke said. "I'm going to have to take a blood sample to have something for testing." He waved a q-tip in front of Soi. "Also, I need to wipe that bite, if you don't mind. If I can get some of Yoru-chan's tissue from that, it might help to locate her in your world and use her as a beacon."

"Oh, it's like an episode of CSI!" Soi said enthusiastically. "No, go ahead, I'm not squeamish." As if to prove her point, she tilted her head so that Kisuke could access her neck better.

Kisuke grinned, thrilled to have someone so cooperative. He wiped the bite mark and then placed the q-tip into a container and sealed it. Next, he grabbed a large syringe and drew a vial of blood from Soi's arm. Yoruichi didn't look, torn between an urge to be mad at Kisuke for using this Soi as an experiment, and the knowledge that it might be the only way to get her own Soi back.

In her head, Shishi no Tsume laughed quietly.

_What are you laughing about?_ she asked in mild irritation.

_**It's just really cute how possessive you are of "your" Soi, even though you two don't have that kind of relationship. Well, not yet, anyway.**_ He added the last part as an afterthought. _**I don't understand why you don't just get together.**_

Yoruichi frowned. _I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I thought I would have more time to be sure that it would work out. I just thought she'd always be there. But maybe I took her for granted…like I did before_. The regret washed over her once more.

Shishi no Tsume was quiet for a moment, giving her time to herself. Then he spoke up again. _**Don't get carried away, Yoruichi. If anyone can find an answer, it's Kisuke. When–not if—she comes back, you'll have the chance to say the things you need to say. It's only a matter of time. Until then, keep faith.**_

Shishi no Tsume's reassurance made her feel a little better. _You're right. Besides, I'm not the only one who is in this situation. I shouldn't react so selfishly._ For the first time, she thought of what it must be like for the Yoruichi in the other world. Then she found herself wondering what her other self was like.

"Well, I think that's all I need from you for now," Kisuke said with a sigh, breaking Yoruichi out of her thoughts. "Now I just have to run some tests." He looked at Yoruichi. "Why don't you give Soifon-san here a tour of the Seireitei? I'll have Kuukaku-san fetch you if I need you for anything else."

Soi started at Kisuke's words. "Actually, my name is Fong Shaolin. Soi is just a nickname."

Yoruichi and Kisuke both stared at her.

"Oh. What would you prefer to be called while you're here?" Yoruichi asked belatedly.

Shaolin shrugged. "Either name is fine. But if it's easier, you can call me Shaolin."

Yoruichi hesitated. "I think I can handle Soi," she said finally. She smiled at Shaolin. "Come on. I'll show you around the Seireitei."


	5. Tell Me

**A/N:** In addition to the standard non-owning disclaimer, I will further note as though it needs stating that I do not own Rock Band. I mean, I own 2 copies of the game and RB2 as well, but as far as rights go, that'd be Harmonix. Bleach = Kubo's._  
_

_Chapter title notes:_ Story of the Year's song Tell Me appears on the album The Black Swan.

* * *

_So tell me__  
Tell me that I'm not all alone  
And everything's all right

* * *

  
_

A few minutes passed. Kisuke leaned against his bedroom door, looking again at the printouts he carried with him. He folded them again and replaced them in his back pocket. He'd checked them over several times now since logging out of the game. He would have to check the raw data over to make sure it matched the results he'd gotten, and if they did he would have to check his equipment to make sure it wasn't faulty. Maybe one of the sensors was out of whack. That would account for the spike and the continued high readings. Or perhaps the spike was correct and the sensor wasn't returning to normal reading position correctly.

He could hear the girls talking but didn't feel especially inclined towards eavesdropping right now. He had been surprised at Soi's aim - he'd had no idea she could throw that accurately, and it might make things difficult if he was caught trying to listen in. However he was, as he had said, curious.

The door opened again, and Soi this time made a show of inviting him in. Both girls were now dressed, although still in pajamas. Soi had her own shorts on now, and her shirt was no longer inside-out. It had been almost comical seeing how haphazardly-dressed the smaller girl had been earlier. Yoruichi looked a bit more put-together. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but hastily, and it still appeared uncombed.

"So what did you so desperately need to ask me?" his friend asked with a smirk. "Or were you really just trying to sneak a peek like Soi thinks?"

"As tempting as it would be to see a little yuri to start the day off right, I've been a little distracted this morning since checking my data feed. You notice anything unusual since last night?" Kisuke asked. Soi looked a little anxious at this, and he didn't really know why. Although, to be fair, he did have a reputation for being a bit of a mad scientist.

Yoruichi's eyebrows went up as well. "If you were recording ANYTHING-!"

"No no no," Kisuke retracted quickly, waving his hands defensively. He quickly grabbed a fistful of papers out of his back pocket. "Well, recording is sort of vague. Certainly nothing audio-visual. I'd never - without consent! I mean, here." He handed the papers over to Yoruichi, knowing she wouldn't understand all the details of what the printouts said, except that there was a large abnormal spike during the night. The readings remained at a higher level than normal since the spike had occurred. Soi looked over her girlfriend's shoulder at the chart, for some reason looking hopeful. "I still have to check the raw data, but I might need to test the sensors to make sure nothing is wrong with them. This is such a huge spike! I didn't know it could pick up-"

Yoruichi cut him off. "Please don't finish that sentence. I hate you sometimes."

Soi looked from the paper to Kisuke. "Urahara-san, what is this recording, exactly?"

"You're sure in a strange mood today, aren't you, Soi-chan? Without getting technical, I'm measuring some unknown energy output. And it isn't coming from anywhere in particular. I can't tell what the source of it is. My arrays are really small, but I should be able to at least get an idea of where to pinpoint it." He rubbed his stubbly chin. "I actually first noticed it on accident in the lab at school while I was messing around with their equipment. So I've designed these sensors and put them up around um, where I can legally monitor things … to see if I can figure anything out about it. Anything I do at school, they'd probably try to take credit for and make money off it. So I had to do all this with my own parts and money, here at the house. Right now I don't even know what it is, just that no one's ever tried to study it. And that's enough to interest me."

Yoruichi glanced at Soi and handed the papers back to Kisuke. "I'll let you know, okay?" He nodded. "Who has the pleasure of getting Kuukaku up today?"

"I think it's your turn. But it's still early, you can probably wait another couple hours." Urahara laughed quietly.

A wide grin split Yoruichi's face. "If we wait long enough, Ganju will be over to pack her kit for tonight's gig."

Kisuke shook his head. "If we wait that long, she'll definitely kill us when she gets up. But we can probably do something that will gradually wake her. Like Rock Band."

"You have a funny idea about what's gradual. But I like the way you think. Rock Band, living room, two hours." She gave him a mock salute. He saluted back and left the room, shutting the door after him.

Soifon flopped back on the bed. "Your Urahara-san is very like ours. They're good friends - he and Yoruichi-sama. Shiba Kuukaku-san, too.

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she considered this. "Does everyone have a … another _them_ on your side?"

Soifon sat up. "Let's see. So far, yes, with the exception of my brothers who were killed in combat. You mentioned Ganju, Kuukaku-san's younger brother."

"What about her older brother, Kaien?"

"He also fell in combat."

"My parents?"

"Yoruichi-sama is the twenty-second head of the Shihouin family."

Yoruichi frowned. "What about _your _parents?"

"I am the ninth head of the Fon family."

"Wow. That's kinda depressing. How about the rest of the band? Um, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Hisagi Shuhei, Madarame Ikkaku, and Matsumoto Rangiku?"

Soifon nodded. "All of them are shinigami. Hisagi-san and Matsumoto-san are fukutaichou. Madarame-san probably has the strength to be a taichou himself, like I am, but lacks the will to. He wants to serve his taichou until death."

Yoruichi shook her head, again confused about Soifon's world. "Shinigami? You mean you're like a bunch of grim reapers?"

Soifon smiled. "Some more grim than others. Basically, we're all spirit-beings who have the skills necessary to the job. Not all spirit-beings have the same potential or abilities. Our job is to perform konso on whole spirits that have died in the living world but can't or won't pass over on their own. Konso allows them to pass to Soul Society. We also are charged with protecting whole spirits and spiritually sensitive humans from Hollows, spirits that become monsters and feed on whole spirits. They have also been known to attack and kill spiritually sensitive humans, those are especially dangerous and often consume shinigami. Our zanpaku-to - our weapons - purify the Hollows; those who were good in life can go to Soul Society, but those who performed evil deeds in life are sent to the underworld.

"To become a shinigami, one needs the potential and the training. If you can get through the academy, you will be assigned to either the Onmitsukido, the Kidoshu, or a division in the Goteijuusantei. From there you can move up in the ranks as far as your skill allows. It depends on the individual. Actually, relating to this, I have a theory about what Urahara-san is measuring. I think he's measuring reiatsu, spiritual energy."

"Spiritual energy?" Yoruichi thought on this for a moment. "That does make sense. It would explain the energy spike, that probably coincides with your arrival here, and my Soi's disappearance. And the continued levels he's picking up would be because you're still here."

Soifon nodded. "That means … we'll probably need his help in order to get us switched back. Do you think he'll be able to help us?"

"I think he'd jump at the chance. The question will be whether or not he tries to make a profit somehow." The dark woman frowned. "I really hope he doesn't try to. I'd rather not have our life disrupted too much. It's all like science fiction. He's probably going to want to hook you up to some sort of machine or something, to test your - what was it? - reiatsu?"

Soifon smiled darkly. "I can probably destroy any machine he pulls on me, if it's sensitive to reiatsu. I'm sure he doesn't have anything capable of measuring a taichou at full power."

"Well, don't waste too much of his money. It's all out-of-pocket and I'd rather he not have to get outside funding to document you." Yoruichi winked. "My parents always get nosey when I try to get too much money at once."

Soifon smirked in response. Suddenly her expression changed to one of curiosity. "Oh, and I had a question for you. What is 'Rock Band,' exactly?"

"Oh no!" Yoruichi pretended to faint. She then looked up at Soifon through one eye with a wide grin. "It's a good thing we're telling Kisuke, or we'd have to explain to him why you suddenly are no good at it. Kuukaku will probably be too hung over to notice at first."

Soifon took this as a personal affront. "I'll have you know, Shihouin-san, I can be good at any number of things. So far there is only one thing I have come up against that is my better. And that's Yoruichi-sama."

Yoruichi laughed. "Clearly you haven't seen the diabolical workings of modern video games. Soi plays lead, I'll go grab the guitars and teach you how to rock. If you've got even a portion of her skill, you should be passable at this game."


	6. Troublemaker

A/N: This chapter is written by PhoenixChase. ^__^ It's shorter than the rest, but it's an important chapter.  
_~TwiLightJoy_: Wow, thanks everyone for the wonderful response! Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it unfolds. Phoenix never really does chapter notes, but the song is Troublemaker by Weezer, from the Red Album. I haven't got her to give me much on her titles, but they do mean something relevant to her.

Kisuke waited until he was sure they were gone before he tossed the vial and q-tip into the trash. He didn't actually need them; collecting the samples had just been part of the façade necessary to hide the truth of what he was really doing. Sitting back down at his desk, he pushed a few buttons and a set of monitors came out of a hole hidden in the ceiling. Pushing a few more buttons switched the monitors on. One screen showed Yoruichi and Shaolin outside talking. The second screen had Soifon and Yoruichi talking to the Kisuke in the other world. So far, everything was going just as planned. He'd even accounted for Yoruichi using shunpo to get there; he knew she wouldn't be able to resist showing off.

Busy marveling at his own genius, Kisuke failed to notice Kuukaku's silent arrival until her breath was on his neck and her arm around his waist. "Kisuke. What the hell are you doing?" she asked, eyes fixed on the monitors.

Kisuke jumped. "Oh, it's just you." He relaxed seeing that it was not Yoruichi or Shaolin.

Kuukaku stopped watching long enough to roll her eyes. "Gee, thanks." She frowned as she turned her eyes back on the monitors. "Why are there two of everyone?" she asked. "Are they in gigais?"

Kisuke shook his head. "Not quite." He hesitated, trying to think of how to explain it. After a moment he got up and shut the door that Kuukaku had left open, locking it securely. "You have to promise not to repeat a WORD to anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Kuukaku looked him, uncertain. "Is this some kind of joke?" She searched his face. The amusement that was his usual expression was gone, leaving only an intense seriousness in its place. The fireworks expert sighed. "What did you do this time, Kisuke? And what does it have to do with Yoruichi and Soifon?"

"I switched Soifon-san with an alternate universe version of herself," he explained, leaving out most of the technical details.

"What? Why the hell would you do that?" Kuukaku asked, deciding that why he did it was more important than how he did it.

"I'm trying to get them together. Soifon-san and Yoruichi-san, I mean."

"You're trying to get them together by separating them into different universes?" Kuukaku wasn't quite following Kisuke's logic.

Kisuke nodded. "I thought if they could see things from a different perspective, it would give them the proper perspective on their own relationship. The Soifon-san and the Yoruichi-san in the other world are lovers, you see. I am trying to give our friends an idea of what could be."

Kuukaku eyed him dubiously. "Ok, I get that. But this was all you could come up with? Isn't it a little extreme?"

Kisuke met her gaze. "I _tried_ more conventional ways. If anything else had worked, do you think I would be doing this? But they have too many hang-ups to make this easy."

Kuukaku sighed. "That they do," she conceded.

"Soifon-san doesn't know how Yoruichi-san feels about her, and even if she knew, she thinks she's not good enough for Yoruichi-san, and so she's content just being friends as long as she can be by Yoruichi-san's side. That's what I've gathered through Suzumebachi from Benihime, anyway," Kisuke said.

"And Yoruichi doesn't want to ruin the friendship they have now by confessing anything to Soi," Kuukaku replied. "What? That's what she told me," she added at Kisuke's surprised expression.

"She told you? Why didn't she tell me?" Kisuke looked slightly offended.

Kuukaku rolled her eyes, but her expression was one of amusement. "It's called girl talk, Kisuke." She gave him a knowing look. "Besides, she probably thought that if she told you, you'd try something. I don't know if she would appreciate knowing she was right."

Kisuke snorted at that remark. "If they weren't so stubborn, I wouldn't _have_ to play matchmaker. They should thank me for meddling."

Kuukaku sighed. "You think they're just being stubborn?" She shook her head. "For being as smart as you are, sometimes you're awfully dense. Don't you remember what falling in love is like? Wasn't it a little scary at first? They're just afraid."

Kisuke frowned. "I can see how that might be the case with anyone else," he replied, after some thought. "But Yoruichi-san was so miserable the whole time we were exiled; and from what I have gathered, Soifon-san was as well. I was certain they would jump at the chance to be with each other when the opportunity presented itself."

Kuukaku stared at him for a moment. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'?" she asked finally.

"I have heard it. Why? Is it important?"

"It is better to have something that is certain than to take a risk to get more, where you might lose everything," Kuukaku explained. "That's probably how they both see it. I can't speak for Soi, but I know Yoruichi is afraid that if they start a relationship and something goes wrong, Soi will hate her, and then she won't have Soi in her life at all. And she'd rather have Soi as just a friend than not at all. She went a hundred years without Soi and she'd rather not have to do it ever again."

"Isn't that just taking things for granted, though?" Kisuke asked. "That's what I think, and that's what I am trying to get across to them. If something dear to you might be gone tomorrow, wouldn't you regret not enjoying it fully? Is it not better to take a risk than to always wonder what could have been?"

"I don't disagree with your point, but why the rush? I'm sure they'd come to the right decision on their own time."

"And just how long do you think that could take? As long as we are able to live, it could be days, or years, or decades, or even centuries. I don't know about you, but I could never go that long without sex."

"This is about _sex_?" Kuukaku asked, incredulous. She looked at his face and found that he was being serious, which prompted her to laugh until tears rolled down her face. "You're more of a pervert than I thought."

Kisuke rolled his eyes. "It's not _just_ about sex, Kuukaku. It's about being happy. Yoruichi is my best friend. A little over a hundred years ago she sacrificed more than I can even imagine and it was in part to help me out of a bad situation. Now I think it's my turn to help her out by making her happy, and I have no doubt that being with Soifon-san is what will make her happiest." He grinned crookedly. "Sex is just part of that. The main point is that Yoruichi-san deserves happiness for as long as she lives, and why not have it sooner rather than later?"

Kuukaku eyed him for a moment before a smile curled her lips. "Ok, you're not as perverted as I thought," she amended. "But are you sure this is going to work? You won't have any problem bringing the real Soifon back from this alternate universe?"

"That won't be a problem," Kisuke stated confidently. "I can switch them back whenever I want."

"How long are you going to wait to switch them back?" Kuukaku asked.

"I'd like to keep the switch as short as possible," Kisuke said. "But it will depend on how this plays out." He grinned at Kuukaku and motioned to the monitors. "You want to watch with me and help me decide when they're ready?" he asked.

"Sure, why not? You're going to need a woman's perspective," she teased.

Kisuke smiled and pulled up a chair for Kuukaku. "Let's get started, then."


	7. The Antidote

**A/N:** Once more, Bleach is sadly not mine. If it was, we'd have Turn Back the Pendulum: The Series.

_Chapter title notes:_ The Antidote appears on Story of the Year's album The Black Swan. (Lots of these are coming from The Black Swan. Hmmmm…)

* * *

_The only antidote consists of blood, sweat, and hope  
And a blueprint to save us from all that we've become_

* * *

Yoruichi knocked on Kisuke's door. Soifon stood behind her, quite closely, as though she didn't want to have to talk to him by herself. "You're sure the theory exists already?" she whispered towards Yoruichi's ear, not being quite tall enough to reach.

"Yes, it's very common in science fiction," the purple-haired woman answered quietly. "I'm sure once he understands that it's actually possible, he'll want to figure out how it works. Hopefully his energy-meter things will have enough of the right kind of information to help him put it all together." A few moments passed and she knocked again, a little louder. She didn't hear anything from inside, but figured he might have his headphones on. Sure enough, the door opened and he did have headphones on, huge ones with foam cushions all the way around his ears, not like the chat headset Soifon had seen him wearing earlier. It made his hair stick out in an even more unruly way than normal. Soifon recalled Urahara's younger days when he had been third-seat under Yoruichi-sama, having to look at his goofy mop of hair every day, and she missed seeing his counterpart's trademark green and white striped bucket hat.

"Sorry, I hope you weren't waiting too long," he apologized. "So lovely to see both of you again, what brings you to my humble lair?" He gestured for them to enter his room, pulling one ear free of the soft earphones. Pin-ups of girls adorned the walls, among diagrams of electromagnetic waves traveling, the solar system, and a large copy of the Periodic Table of Elements. It seemed like an odd juxtaposition, but it suited his personality. The computer was pretty much the room's focal point, but circuit boards and all manner of wires and odd devices whose purpose Soifon could only guess at were in transparent boxes everywhere. The floor in this room was hardwood, unlike most the rest of the house.

"You said to come let you know if we thought of anything unusual since last night," Yoruichi explained. "So we came to let you know something."

Soifon stood as tall as her 4'11" frame allowed. "Please don't freak out too much! We don't want Kuukaku-san waking up yet!"

His eyebrows jumped up excitedly, hiding under shaggy bangs. "All right, this should be good if you think I'll wake Kuukaku!" He finished removing his headphones and placed them on his desk. "Please, sit down!"

Soifon peered around, only seeing one chair. Where did he intend for them to sit? Yoruichi took a seat on his bed, cross-legged. Soifon was taken aback for a moment, then sat stiffly on the very edge of the bed, not wishing to turn down his dubious hospitability.

"Does this have to do with why Shaolin-san is acting so weird?" he asked frankly, looking at Soifon curiously.

"She isn't weird," Yoruichi said a bit defensively. "But this … this isn't our Shaolin."

Soifon leaned towards Yoruichi and kept her voice low. "Does he normally call her 'Shaolin-san,' or is it 'Soi-chan?'"

Yoruichi never got a chance to answer. "Not our Shaolin, you say? How could she not be? Are you saying … she's from another world?" Soifon nodded in confirmation. "Really! If she isn't _our_ Shaolin, then whose is she? An alien, or a parallel dimension?" Urahara asked, though he didn't seem to expect an answer. He looked at Yoruichi and then back at Soifon as a look passed between the pair. "Parallel dimension!? And what triggered a doorway between our worlds? Is _that_ what the spike was about!"

"First, stop trying to detach yourself from her. She isn't an experiment. She's a person," Yoruichi reprimanded him. "Because she _is_ someone's Soi-chan, and we need your help to make sure she can get back where she belongs. So we can get _our_ Soi back home."

Soifon smiled at Yoruichi thankfully. "And if you'd like to know what it is you're measuring, you'll want to call me Soifon, please," she added to Kisuke.

"Oooh, you know what it is?" he practically squealed, forgetting momentarily about measuring Soifon. Her name was Soifon..? "Oh. Sorry. Soifon, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Urahara Kisuke."

Soifon raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Ah, Urahara-san, it's good to meet you. This one didn't properly introduce herself when we first met," she remarked, poking Yoruichi's arm.

Yoruichi frowned. "Because _you_ were busy being an imposter. Plus, you said my name. It was evident that you knew who I was." She folded her arms, confident she had successfully defended herself.

"Well, you two certainly act like you know one another. May I ask how-"

"No," they answered in unison.

"Well then," he said, feeling a bit left out of something he didn't want to be left out of. "I'm guessing there is another Yoru-chan over wherever you came from, and that you're … quite close. I like that!" He looked at her for confirmation that he had been right, but Soifon's face remained impassive. Finally he gave up. "Soifon-san, you were going to let me know what it is that I'm measuring, correct?" He eagerly reached for a handheld device with a gauge on it.

Yoruichi looked appraisingly at the device. "Is that your most sensitive one?" she asked.

"What?" Kisuke asked, fiddling with a knob on it. "Oh, yeah, I just finished calibrating it a couple minutes ago. It barely got cool enough. Stuff like this takes a while to reset, it's better for measuring highs then fluctuations, but it's pretty sensitive. Look, a digital readout, no needles!" He held it up proudly, obviously pleased with his new toy.

Soifon grinned. "I don't think you will want that one on if you want to be able to use it again. If I'm right, you're measuring reiatsu, and I will probably break it."

"Oh, I don't think that's possible," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Watch this, it can handle your … reiatsu." He flicked it on and the gauge lit up. "What's a reiatsu, exactly?"

"Reiatsu is spiritual energy. And your little machine can handle me when I'm _not doing anything_ with my reiatsu. That's like me being able to find someone who isn't hiding. Speaking of hiding, watch this." Soifon didn't seem to do anything out of the ordinary, but the lights on the gauge slowly blinked off one by one.

"Wow, you broke it already?" Yoruichi asked, standing and leaning over the device. Kisuke shooed her away.

Soifon laughed. "No, I'm masking my reiatsu. It still works just fine. It's just detecting that I'm undetectable. I'm the commander of the Onmitsukido, so this is a necessary skill." She didn't do anything noticeable, but the lights came back on at a moderate level. "Everyone's reiatsu feels different. If you know someone well enough, you can find them by feeling for their reiatsu. If one doesn't want to be found, they learn to do this."

Kisuke looked thrilled at this. "So you can control how much of this energy, reiatsu, that you put out?"

Soifon simply nodded. "This is your last chance to get a device you are less attached to, because I'm going to turn it up. When you're ready."

The blonde man waved her on. "Oh, Soifon-san, please go ahead. I have all confidence in my equipment."

"Because a senkai gate and me sleeping didn't break it." She shook her head, her braids swishing around her. "Please use something else, we still have to figure out how to _make_ a senkai gate to get me back home, and your own Soi back."

Urahara ran a hand through his hair, hesitating, then flicked the power off on the handheld. "You better break something, though, you've got me all excited to see it." He got what looked like an older design of the same type of device, this one with a slender red needle on it. "Man, the needle was really a pain to set. Here goes." He pressed the switch and the needle sprang to life, hovering around the midway point of the gauge. "When you're ready, I'm waiting to be impressed."

Since she didn't have a zanpaku-to to release, she simply spoke the words of releasing her shikai. It was odd to have Suzumebachi silent all this time. In theory this should still work, even without a physical zanpaku-to. "Jinteki shakusetsu, Suzumebachi!" She could feel the increase in her reiatsu, but still couldn't hear Suzumebachi. It was eerie. She looked down at her hand as if expecting to see the stinger extending from her middle finger or the bracer on her forearm.

"Whoa," Kisuke breathed, watching the needle flick rapidly to the right in response to the energy surge.

"Yeah!" Yoruichi cheered, once again looking at the screen. Neither of them noticed Soifon's uneasy expression. "Go higher, Soifon, it isn't broken yet."

Soifon stood and nodded, rolling her shoulders back once and channeling kido for shunko. She could again feel the energy increase, but there were no physical effects. Her back and shoulders felt a little warmer, but thankfully she hadn't ripped Shaolin's shirt to shreds or totaled Urahara's room. Or the house, for that matter.

"My needle," Kisuke lamented. He looked up from the now-useless device and met Soifon's eyes. She dropped her energy level back to normal and sat once again. "You still could have done more, couldn't you?"

"Yes. The next power level would have been roughly five times higher than my shunko, the last one I did." She looked a little pale. "I'm sorry to impose, but I need some food. Using reiatsu like that reminds me that I haven't eaten in a while." She really worried about Suzumebachi now. What had happened once she had gone through to this place? Was Suzumebachi stuck inside the gate? Was it a normal gate? She had gone to bed and left her zanpaku-to near her futon on a stand designed for it. Suzumebachi, though, was a part of her. Could passing through to this world have disconnected them, or were her spiritual abilities simply inaccessible? If she ever got back home, would she be the same?

Yoruichi set one knee on the bed beside Soifon and leaned over the smaller woman, concerned. "Do you feel weak? Do you need to lie down?" She felt Soifon's forehead with the back of her hand. "Your temperature feels maybe a little high."

Soifon smiled weakly. "That's probably from shunko. The kido just made me warm instead of destroying the room. I think I'll be okay if I can just get some food though."

The young scientist placed the ruined detector on his side table. "Well, as thanks for the demonstration, I'm told I make a mean omelet. Do you want sausage or bacon?" he asked, standing in the doorway looking ready to cook.

The Chinese woman involuntarily wrinkled her nose in distaste. "No, thank you, I don't like meat. If you have vegetables?" Kisuke was already out the door.

Yoruichi laughed. "We do. Do you want to eat in my room or in the kitchen?" she inquired.

"I thought you owe me a lesson in this 'Rock Band' of yours," Soifon reminded her.

The dark-skinned girl looked a little surprised. "You're right, I do. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Yes, just let me eat first. My reiatsu will recover quickly enough."

She found herself being swept up in Yoruichi's arms and carried out of the room. "Kisuke, just bring it to my room!" Yoruichi called towards the kitchen.

"Remeeeeeemberrrr, she isn't yooooours!" he answered loudly in a song-song voice.

"**WILL BOTH OF YA SHUT UP!!**" Kuukaku bellowed. "Kisuke! Bring me some asprin right now!"

They heard a "Yes ma'am!" before the door shut.


	8. Real World

**A/N:** This chapter is written by PhoenixChase. A bit like Joy's, I got the title for this chapter from a song.  
The All-American Rejects - "Real World" - from the album When the World Comes Down

* * *

_I woke up on this side, I thought it was a dream  
_

_

* * *

  
_

"Are your hands okay?" Shaolin asked once they were outside of Kuukaku's house. "You were clenching them pretty tightly."

Yoruichi blushed guiltily. "You saw that? I'm sorry."

Shaolin smiled gently. "You're not so unlike my Yoru-chan that I can't tell when you're upset about something," she said quietly.

Yoruichi grinned ruefully. "I can see that." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "So…I gather that you and Yoru-chan are dating?" Yoruichi asked finally, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How did you two meet?" She thought of the bite mark and blushed. "How long have you…been together?"

Shaolin laughed. "Whoa, that's a lot of questions," she teased. "One at a time, please!"

"Sorry. I'm just naturally curious," Yoruichi said, wearing a sheepish expression. "Tell me about when you first met, then," she decided.

Shaolin looked wistful, thinking about it. She could feel Yoruichi's eyes on her, waiting to hear her speak. "The first time I saw Yoru-chan, I was working at my store and she came in with Kisuke one day. It was after one of my brothers had died recently, so I was pretty down." She paused, lost in the memory. "I guess it must have been obvious that I was sad, because she tried to strike a conversation up with me. I brushed her off at first. But she was determined to get to know me, so she kept coming in and talking to me. Eventually I gave in and we went out on a date. From there, you can probably guess what happened."

"Why did you brush her off at first?" Yoruichi asked, following the topic that interested her most.

"It was hard for me to imagine someone like her being interested in someone like me," Shaolin answered truthfully. "Yoru-chan is beautiful, smart, popular, and rich. She could probably have anyone she wanted. But there she was, flirting with _me_ of all people. I thought it was too good to be true."

Yoruichi snorted, as if in reprimand. "You didn't think you were good enough for her," she surmised. "But if she's like me, those kinds of things aren't important."

Shaolin nodded sheepishly. "Yes. That's what she told me, too, when I finally gave her a chance." She glanced at Yoruichi curiously. "You sound like you're speaking from experience. Is the Soi of this world like I was?"

Yoruichi sighed, looking oddly irritated and sad at the same time. "Uh-huh. She still insists on calling me Yoruichi-sama, even though we're pretty much equals now."

"But you weren't always equals?" Shaolin asked.

A shake of the head was Yoruichi's response. "When we first met, I was the guundanchou of the Onmitsukidou. She had just joined the punishment force." Unbeknownst to her but picked up on by Shaolin, Yoruichi's expression softened affectionately at recalling the old memory. "She was training with other members of the squad, and I dropped by and joined the fight so I could check on their progress. She was the only one who was actually able to block my attack; I was very impressed, to say the least. From then on, I tracked her progress, and after seven years had her transferred to my personal guard. She had a lot of potential, and I thought it would be most effective to train her myself."

"How did that go?" Shaolin interrupted, eager to hear more. She was curious about her other self.

"Training Soi was a lot more fun than I expected," Yoruichi mused, grinning as she warmed up to the subject. "She was the only one who seemed to actually enjoy all the hard work. It was probably because she worshiped me back then, and so to her it was a great honor to be in her position, even though it was very demanding. There was nothing she was not willing to do, and she always put her best effort into doing it. Seeing how elated she was when she learned something, or when she defeated a hollow…as her senpai it was very gratifying to see something I was doing make a positive impact in someone else's life; especially since everyone else treated such accomplishments as just part of the job." Her grin turned into a small frown. "But her dedication was also a problem at times; if anything went wrong she was always really hard on herself about it. More than once I had to convince her that she hadn't disappointed me in any way. She's still that way sometimes."

"That does sound like me," Shaolin admitted. She was about to ask another question when a loud screech sounded nearby. Beside her, Yoruichi tensed up, suddenly alert. "What was that?" Shaolin asked.

"It's a hollow," Yoruichi said, frowning. "And it's coming our way." She pulled her off her haori and shoved it into Shaolin's arms. "Here, hold this for me. I don't think the hollow will notice you, since you don't have any reiatsu. But I will put a kido spell on you just in case." She put her palm up to Shaolin's forehead and her hand glowed yellow for a moment before she withdrew it.

Satisfied that Shaolin would be safe, Yoruichi turned around in anticipation of the hollow, deciding to go into shunko mode. Even though it probably wasn't necessary against an ordinary hollow, she felt in this situation it might be better to be safe than sorry; especially since she had no idea what would happen if Shaolin got hurt in this world. She started gathering energy as she headed towards the hollow.

From where she was standing, Shaolin stared in awe as kido gathered around Yoruichi's body, crackling like electricity, while the earth surrounding the purple-haired woman tore itself from the ground in a roar as if in protest. Even the hollow seemed to hesitate as it cleared a copse of trees and came into view of the two women. It was a large hollow with the semblance of a bear, though it was easily twice as large as any real one. A set of wicked claws at the end of its arms caught the sunlight, glinting menacingly. Its face was a mask of white bone; all the more jarring against the short, dark, fur coat that covered the rest of the creature's body. Deep, guttural growls could be heard coming from its mouth.

The sight of the creature shocked Shaolin. She wasn't sure what she'd expected after hearing Kisuke's explanation about hollows; but Yoruichi's first, casual description of "monster" was more than apt. Shaolin gasped fearfully as the hollow suddenly lunged at Yoruichi with its jaws wide open. Shaolin's fear turned to amazement as Yoruichi dodged with ease and then launched a counterattack, kicking the hollow in its midsection. It flew back several feet, slamming into a large tree and causing the tree to crack from the impact. Before the hollow could recover Yoruichi shunpoed in front of it and punched it squarely in the mask, causing it to disintegrate in a matter of seconds. Shaolin jumped a little as Yoruichi appeared next to her suddenly, reaching for her haori.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Yoruichi apologized, as she put her haori back on.

Shaolin shook her head. "No, it's fine. You're just really fast. And for being so small you're awfully strong." She tried not to let her awe be too apparent. "That monster was huge, and yet you took it out like nothing."

Yoruichi grinned. "I am a taichou, you know." She gave Shaolin a teasing smile. "But don't be too impressed; that hollow wasn't anything special. Any seated officer could have defeated it just as easily."

"That hollow wasn't anything special?" Shaolin looked at the cracked tree and thought of the creature with a slight shudder. "That's a bit of a scary thought." She frowned. "Everything here is so strange; you guys can teleport, talk to your swords, easily defeat monsters twice your size…what else haven't I seen yet?"

Yoruichi laughed. "More than you can imagine, probably." She looked at Shaolin. "If you want to see more, I can show you around. But I have to make you invisible, since I told everyone Soi was sick. It might cause problems if anyone saw you."

"You can make me invisible?" Shaolin gaped.

Yoruichi paused. "Stealth _is_ one of the specialties of the Onmitsukidou," she replied, as if that explained everything.

"R-right," Shaolin stuttered, deciding it was better not to think about it too much. "I guess if you think that's best, I don't mind being invisible."

"Good, because someone's coming," Yoruichi responded, grinning. Similar to earlier, she put her palm up to Shaolin's forehead and her hand glowed yellow for a moment. Unlike the last time, however, she also said a few words under her breath before finally withdrawing her hand. Shaolin presumed it was some kind of spell chant.

"Don't make a sound," Yoruichi instructed quietly. "No one except me can see you, but if you make any noise they will be able to hear you." She turned around. "And you should probably get on my back in case we have to go anywhere."

"Get on your back?" Shaolin repeated, puzzled.

"Yeah, like I'm giving you a piggyback ride," Yoruichi said. "If I have to shunpo, I'm going to have to carry you somehow, but I can't pick up an invisible person." She chuckled. "That would look strange."

"Oh, right," Shaolin replied, recognizing the truth of Yoruichi's words. She got herself in place on Yoruichi's back; just in time, too, as someone appeared in front of them.

"Shihouin Taichou!" the newcomer said in greeting. Shaolin was shocked to recognize Kira Izuru. With his blond hair covering half his face, he didn't look much different from his counterpart in Shaolin's world.

"You don't have to be so formal," Yoruichi reminded him. "What brings you out here?" she asked.

"Actually, I was looking for you," Kira explained. "The 11th and 12th are at it again."

"I see," Yoruichi replied. She sighed. "I'll take care of it." She looked at Kira. "Do you want to come with?" she asked.

Kira looked startled for a second before he nodded. "Sure."

They started to shunpo towards some location unknown to Shaolin. She frowned. For some reason, it seemed like Yoruichi was going slower than before, and she wondered if it was just her imagination. Then it occurred to her that Yoruichi probably had to in order for Kira to keep up.

As if reading Shaolin's mind, Kira smiled nervously. "Thanks for going slow enough for me to keep up," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Yoruichi smiled reassuringly. "So what started it this time?" she asked.

"I don't know," Kira replied. "But I'd guess the usual. Zaraki Taichou and Kurotsuchi Taichou have never gotten along."

Yoruichi just clicked her tongue disapprovingly in response. Shaolin wondered what was going on. Not being able to talk was a lot harder than she thought. But as they neared inner Seireitei, the sound of swords clashing and people yelling alerted Shaolin to what was going on before she could even see it.

Upon reaching the scene of the fight, Yoruichi and Kira stopped, and Yoruichi looked around, surveying the chaos. Members of Zaraki's squad were fighting with members of Kurotsuchi's squad in a large courtyard normally reserved for important ceremonies. Their respective taichous, who were fighting each other, would be of no help. Yoruichi rolled her eyes in exasperation as she released just enough reiatsu to catch everyone's attention.

Immediately, the fighting ceased. Everyone looked up at the source of the reiatsu. Excluding the two taichous, the members of both squads all bowed respectfully upon seeing who it was. "Shihouin Taichou!" several of them exclaimed.

"At ease," Yoruichi commanded, and everyone obeyed, straightening back up to standing positions. "Please return to your own areas," she instructed as an afterthought. The courtyard cleared out as the Shinigami beat a hasty retreat, not daring to cause any more trouble.

Shaolin marveled at the respect given Yoruichi; it was almost as if the purple-haired woman was royalty. Idly, the otherworldly woman wondered if such a concept existed in this world. She would have to remember to ask Yoruichi later.

Suddenly, Yoruichi shunpoed directly in front of Zaraki Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Shaolin was glad that she hadn't let her grip slip or she would have fallen off during the short trip. Although, seeing the two men up close was intimidating enough to make her wish she _had_ fallen. Zaraki was huge, towering over all of them, and worse yet, still brandishing his zanpakuto. Kurotsuchi wasn't a great deal larger than Yoruichi; but his face paint gave the impression of insanity. If the two of them decided to direct their attacks at Yoruichi, would the female taichou be able to counter them as easily as she had the hollow? Shaolin hoped she wouldn't have to find out.

"What kind of example is this to set for your squads?" Yoruichi teased. She didn't seem worried about the possibility of being attacked. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" she asked, her tone becoming serious. A little to Shaolin's shock, both men had the grace to look sheepish as they shook their heads in a negative reply. Yoruichi sighed. "I didn't think so." She gave them both significant looks. "I have to give a report to Yamamoto Soutaichou so he can decide what course of action to take. I will inform you of his decision. Until then, please resume your normal activities." The taichous, much like their squad members, disappeared quickly.

"Are they going to get in trouble?" Kira asked, appearing next to Yoruichi.

"It depends on what Yamamoto Soutaichou decides," Yoruichi replied. She glanced over at Kira. "I'm surprised you stuck around. Shouldn't you be practicing your hakuda? That's the only area you need improvement on. Once you've mastered that, and achieved bankai, you'll be eligible to become a taichou. You're already a master at kido, so it shouldn't be too hard for you."

Kira scratched the back of his head, blushing modestly at Yoruichi's words. "Me, a taichou? I don't think I'm at that level." He looked a little embarrassed. "I've always been in squads that were kido-based, so I never really needed to master hakuda. I'm not even sure where to start." He sighed.

Yoruichi grinned. "I'm sure I can help you out. Why don't you come to the Squad 2 headquarters when I'm doing a training session? You can train with members of my squad until you're good enough at it to train with me and Soifon."

Kira looked surprised, and then excited. "Are you serious? That would be a great honor!"

Yoruichi smiled at seeing the normally quiet Shinigami so enthused. "If you'd like, I'll be working with the squad tonight. You're welcome to join us."

"I will definitely be there," Kira replied. "Thank you, Shihouin Taichou!"

"Didn't I tell you not to be so formal?" Yoruichi asked; but he was already gone. "Tch. Oh well." She craned her head around as best as she could to look at Shaolin. "Are you okay back there?" she asked. Shaolin opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the growling of her own stomach. Yoruichi laughed. "You're hungry then, I take it?" She paused. "Now that I think about it, you haven't had anything to eat at all today. No wonder you're hungry. We'll go to my place and eat there," she decided.

"Don't you have to go talk to that Yamamoto something or other?" Shaolin asked. She didn't want Yoruichi to get in trouble on her behalf.

"Yes, but it can wait long enough for me to at least drop you off first," Yoruichi answered. "It's not like it will take long." As if to prove her point, she shunpoed towards the Shihouin estate and reached it in less than a minute. "Here we are!" Yoruichi announced. She grinned at Shaolin. "So, what do you think?"


	9. Save One

A/N: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Rock Band belongs to Harmonix. Insanity for putting the two together belongs to me. ^_~

Chapter title notes: Save One appears on Story of the Year's single of Wake Up, which as you may recall was the song I used for the first chapter. I really feel this song is suited to Soifon after Yoruichi left Soul Society.

* * *

_But the morning's over now.__  
(And you're not here)  
__And the search for higher ground.__  
(But you're not here)  
__And the morning's come and gone,__  
Standing here under the sun.  
So much easier said than done.

* * *

  
_

"Okay, Soifon, you ready?" Yoruichi asked, pushing a still-damp lock of hair out of her face.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," the shinigami answered, and raised the guitar controller. The opening of the song played and the notes began to scroll down the screen. Soifon had picked up the game pretty quickly, and had advanced to medium mode after only a couple songs while Yoruichi was in the shower. This was her first attempt on hard.

"I honestly don't know how you're doing so well without knowing any of the songs," Yoruichi managed while playing. Talking usually caused her to miss notes.

Soifon's gray eyes remained glued to the screen, never missing a beat. "It isn't about music, it's about timing. Hitting when and where it says. That is all."

Yoruichi missed a note when she glanced over at the dark-haired girl. "Timing with the _music_." She got back on top of the beat quickly. "Kuukaku will know you aren't my Soi, if you stand so stiff like that."

The short woman stretched her pinky to hit the orange fret, missing the first few times but getting the hang of it quickly. "And how _should_ I stand?" she asked, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I dunno," Yoruichi replied, "maybe like you're having fun or something." She stole another glance over at Soifon and noted that she was, at least, smiling. "Ah, a smile, see I knew you could do it."

Soifon continued to play. "I think you need to stop sounding so much like Yoruichi-sama. It's distracting." Her fingers slipped and she hit the wrong note.

"I can't help how the object of your affection talks."

Soifon hit a short string of wrong notes.

"And I think that … once you get back to your Soul Society, you should take her back to the Second Division Barracks."

Soifon's side of the screen began to glow red, as did her face.

"To your personal quarters. Or to hers. You're both very important women, if you're having a meeting it would be rude to bother you. No one will interrupt."

The crowd began to boo more loudly and throw things on Soifon's side of the stage.

"Or maybe you two have somewhere private that you like to go?"

Soifon's character threw her guitar on the stage and stalked off. "You're making me regret telling you as much as I have. And for your information … we _do_ have somewhere private." She smiled giddily. She felt like an utter idiot.

Yoruichi grinned triumphantly. "Tell me about it!" She took the guitar off and lay it down on the floor, sitting down, then waited as Soifon did the same. She clicked the power off on the system and the TV.

"Well, when I was her personal bodyguard, our private place was a sakura grove near the Shihouin residence. We used to go there after training and field assignments ended. Usually I went there to practice more, and she followed me there to make sure I didn't practice."

The purple-haired girl quickly set down the glass of milk she was drinking, nearly shooting it from her nose and looking scandalized. "I thought you said she never even kissed you!"

Realizing how it sounded, Soifon corrected herself. "Oh! She didn't. She went to assure me that I didn't need further practice, and that if I did than there was a time and place for that practice to occur. She was a strict taichou, but she also made sure we had our free time and enjoyed it. So I spent a lot of it with her."

"Yeah, sounds like she probably had to keep tabs on you and keep you from working yourself to death."

Soifon laughed. "That's pretty much how it seems. Are you sure you aren't her?"

"If I was her, I doubt you'd be wondering if she cared for you. You would _definitely _know." Yoruichi smiled sadly.

"You're worried about Shao - about your Soi," Soifon stated.

Yoruichi nodded and hugged her knees against her chest. "We've only been apart for a few hours, but it already hurts so much."

Soifon looked at the floor, unsure how to comfort Yoruichi-sama's counterpart. "I hope your Urahara-san is as smart as ours. It's funny that they're probably both trying to figure out how to talk to each other right now." She looked back up, meeting Yoruichi's eyes. "Please try not to worry about it. Once Yoruichi-sama notices I'm absent from training, they should figure everything out quickly on that end. Maybe they can even re-direct an existing senkai gate to this world by tracing your Soi's spiritual energy, or mine. I have faith in the Twelfth Division and the Kidoshu to figure it out, especially if they call in Urahara-san. He's been able to build and maintain his own senkai gate, albeit for short periods of time." Her voice sounded calm and assured, but she grew a little more nervous each hour. She wasn't even sure they would be able to undo what had been done.

A knock came at the door. "Are you ready to rock?"

Yoruichi took a deep breath to steady herself. "We're already warmed up. I think the question is, are YOU ready to rock?" she called back, a smile returning to her face.

"I am, indeed." Kisuke didn't barge right in this time, but waited for Yoruichi to open the door. When he entered, she downed the rest of her milk in way that would have made the Shihouin princess proud. "As for that other problem, I'm working on a solution. A short break should clear my head, I'm a little stuck right now. I might have to speak with you in more detail, Soifon-san."

Soifon nodded, her braids bobbing. It felt a little odd not to have the rings on the ends of them. It seemed this world's Soi had never received them. "I will help in any way I can," she affirmed. "I'm honestly a little anxious. I don't know how much help I can be, but I will tell you anything you need to know about the Twelfth Division and the Kidoshu. It's limited, but it's better than nothing."

Yoruichi unplugged the guitars from the system and wrapped the cords up. "You want relaxation and we're going to wake Kuukaku up. I'm not sure this is the best plan. It should be fun though." She popped the disk out of the system and handed it to Soifon, who looked puzzled and took it, getting her fingerprints all over the underside. Kisuke gasped audibly and took the disk from her, rubbing the fingerprints off on his shirt.

"Soifon-san, please hold the disk by the edge." He felt a little embarrassed for having reacted how he did, and coughed. "Well, Yoru-chan, it won't be that bad. I already gave her some aspirin and let her sleep in. She might not be as bad as you think."

"Here's hoping," Yoruichi said, grabbing a memory card and leading the other two out of her room.

The tiny shinigami chose this moment to pipe up. "Our Shiba Kuukaku-san has a temper like a mad bear. And I've never seen her with a hangover."

"That … isn't helping, Soifon," Yoruichi replied. Reaching the end of the hallway, the purple-haired woman bypassed the horrific-looking couch and its frighteningly-tempered occupant, who still snored on. She bravely plugged the guitars into the hub on the living room's system, then inserted the memory card. The drum set and microphone were already plugged it. Kisuke grabbed the microphone and pushed a memory card of his own into the second slot. The tall man then plucked up his courage and turned on the television, and powered the system on with the wireless controller. Life was nothing if not an adventure.

The screen lit up with the system's logo, then he inserted the game disk and loaded the game. Kisuke waited for the girls to sign into their profiles, Soifon using Shaolin's, having been shown what to do by Yoruichi. Once everyone was ready, he loaded the song list and selected "random" from the options. The opening chords played, and Kuukaku stirred on the couch. Soifon kept pace pretty well on Hard, and Kisuke was actually not a bad singer. Yoruichi even sang back-up to him on the chorus.

Kuukaku stopped snoring and let out a huge yawn, stretching. Her fists and feet stuck out from under the blanket, and she pulled her head out from under the blanket. "Nnnnn," she groaned, sitting slowly up. "Whadda you guys think yer doin' here?"

The vocals dropped out for a guitar solo, and Soifon played on, backed by Yoruichi. Kisuke turned around, mocking surprise at seeing the Shiba woman up. "Oh, Kuukaku-san! I thought you'd gone back to your room!"

Kuukaku ran a hand through her shaggy black hair, pushing it back from her clear blue eyes. "That's not what I mean. Yer makin' it sound terrible, ya got no DRUMS. Drum's the heartbeat of the band." She pointed to the screen. "Yer cue's comin' up, Kisuke."

He bowed graciously to her with a wide grin, then turned back to the screen and sang along as Soifon finished the solo. Kuukaku got up, finger-combed her hair, and downed the glass of water Urahara had left next to her couch for her. She stretched again, then sat and watched them finish the song. "Ya better back out, I need ta get in on this." She pulled the stool for her kit out and arranged the plastic drum set behind the others.

Yoruichi beamed back at her friend. "Morning, sunshine."

Kuukaku pointed a drumstick at the younger woman. "Sunshine yerself, Yoru! Thought there'd be no way you pair would be up an' about before me. You remember ta get to class later on, will ya? I don't wanna hear about you skippin' just cuz this one took a day off," she gestured at Soifon, who blushed for having been noticed. "You got me?"

"Yes mom," Yoruichi grinned. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time for your gig."

"Damn right ya will." She poked Kisuke in the butt with her drumstick, laughing at his shriek. "Hey pick a song already! Men singers are so particular," she griped. Finally he selected one and Kuukaku set hers on Expert.

Kisuke sighed. "You only think that because you're used to Yumichika-san. May I remind you he's rather particular about everything."

Soifon choked back a laugh and nodded, watching the screen and pressing the fret buttons idly before the song started. This one opened with a drum solo, to Kuukaku's pleasure, and Soifon's jaw dropped to see what a drum solo on expert even looked like. How her foot, arms, and eyes kept up with the chaotic bursts of color was amazing. She resisted looking over her shoulder, knowing it would throw her off from the patterns she was unfamiliar with. As much as she'd rationalized her ability to sight-read the songs to Yoruichi, she was sure it must help to know the song. She also hoped her stay would not be long enough to learn them.

After tearing successfully through that song, Yoruichi poked Kisuke's knee with her bare foot. "Want to trade off? I think everyone's ears need a rest for a minute."

He laughed and signed out. "So that we can hear your yowling? Is that an improvement?" he asked teasingly, handing the controller and microphone off to his purple-haired friend. She had already signed out and taken the guitar controller off, and they both signed back in after swapping. Yoruichi quickly scrolled to a song and selected it. "You always do this one!" the blonde man complained.

"You like it, just admit it."

"I'm sure if you ever had to do the bass part, you'd grow to dislike it too," he retorted.

Soifon looked over at Urahara. "If you want to do lead on this one, it's okay."

Kisuke's eyes lit up with surprised pleasure. "I would be in your debt! Name anything and you will have it!" he exclaimed dramatically.

Soifon laughed in answer. "I'm already putting you to work, you know. Will this make up for breaking your detector thing earlier?"

"For this song, YES."

Yoruichi shook her head. "Don't listen to him, Soi, it isn't that bad."

"Would you two just hurry up and pick bass or lead or which ever, I wanna play!" Kuukaku growled impatiently. "My part isn't even that hard or anything, once ya get the kicks down. Let's go." Kisuke selected the guitar part and Soifon selected bass, then the difficulty select came up.

"Ugh, this song is so brutal," he said with a grin, setting it on Expert. Soifon followed his lead and set the bass to Expert as well. With that the song began, Kisuke leading the intro and Yoruichi singing along.

"Loving you isn't the right thing to do," Yoruichi sang along quietly at first, but as the other instruments came in, her volume gradually grew. "How can I ever change things that I feel? If I could, maybe I'd give you my world. How can I, when you won't take it from me?"

Soifon was impressed with Yoruichi's vocals, but was having a hard time keeping up with the more experienced players. Catching a glance at the lead guitar part, she was glad he'd taken it, since she felt sure she would have missed the quick chord changes and the three-button chords that suddenly popped up. That said, the bass was more difficult than she'd anticipated, setting a quick, steady rhythm that never broke. The frequent skips from the orange fret at one end to the green fret at the other quickly had her frustrated, since her fingers weren't quite long enough to make the transition natural. After the song finally came to an end, the shinigami let the guitar controller hang by the shoulder strap and shook out her fingers. Urahara was doing the same with a laugh. "That was great, guys!" he beamed.

"Says Mister 100%! I thought you didn't like it," Yoruichi teased, setting the controller and mic down.

Kisuke shrugged out of the guitar strap. "Oh, but lead is a different story. I can see why Soi-chan usually keeps it all to herself."

"If you're that good, why do you always play bass?" Soifon asked, pulling her controller off over her head.

Kuukaku laughed at this question. "Haven't ya been in his room, Fong? He oughta have a bass guitar in the corner by his closet. He used'ta play bass f'r Patent Pending, r'member, before he hadda go all scholarly on us an' quit the band." She was grinning all the while, standing up to stretch. "It wasn't _that _long ago, Yoru here musta got yer brain all fuzzy."

Kisuke smiled nostalgically at the memory. "Well, you try taking advanced physics classes by day and being a rock god by night, see how long you can keep it up." He winked at Kuukaku, then turned towards the kitchen. "I'm sure Hisagi-san is a more than capable replacement, anyway. I think I'll go fix you something to eat."

"Ah, Shuuhei, he's all right. He don't talk too much, I like that in a guy," the blue-eyed woman said agreeably before following Urahara out of the room, continuing to talk to him. "You, on th' other hand, never seem ta shut up. Whatcha think you're gonna make me, anyway?" Her voice trailed off as they moved through the house. "OI! Yoru-chan!" she suddenly bellowed back towards the living room. "Ya better get ready fer class!"

Yoruichi glanced up at the clock, startled. "Shit, she's right. My lecture starts in 15 minutes. So, you want to go with me and sit in? Or you could go check out the store, or just stay here with those two."

Soifon frowned and glanced towards the kitchen. "I ... better stay here. I have some more information to give Kisuke-san regarding the Twelfth Division, and anything I can recall pertaining to our senkai gate. Maybe with a nudge in the right direction, he can make contact with my world's Urahara-san and figure this out."

The college student nodded. "I hope you two can figure everything out soon. If you need my help with anything, tell Kisuke he can text me and I'll have a 'family emergency' and come right home."

"I have no idea what that means, but I will let him know." Soifon waved as Yoruichi slipped her shoes on and dashed out of the house.


	10. Fill The Silence

Note: This chapter written by PhoenixChase. Title taken loosely from the Pink song Sober.

* * *

_  
I don't wanna be the girl who has to fill the silence  
A quiet scares me cause it screams the truth_

* * *

Shaolin gawked at the sight before her eyes. They were standing on a large lawn of luscious green grass; to her left a brick-lined path wound its way up a distance before forming a circle that split into several branching paths; and to her right, there was a small gated entrance that led to what appeared to be a garden. Various buildings were scattered about, but Shaolin was able to tell which one was the main residence by its enormous size. Yoruichi steered them towards it, confirming Shaolin's guess.

"You call this a 'place'?" Shaolin asked, incredulous. "'Palace' is more like it. I think you left out an 'a' in there." The question she'd thought of earlier came back to mind. "Please tell me that you're a princess or something, and not everyone has an estate like this," she teased.

Yoruichi's grin faltered. "That about sums it up, actually," she said quietly. "But I prefer not being referred to as a princess, if you don't mind. It's far too formal."

Shaolin stared at the purple-haired woman. "Wait, you _are_ a princess? I was just joking!"

Yoruichi frowned. "Shihouin is one of the four noble families of Soul Society," she explained reluctantly. "I'm the current head of the clan."

Shaolin's expression was thoughtful. "I think I can understand why your Soi would think she's not good enough."

"Tch. Fon is also a noble family, and Soi is the head of her clan as well," Yoruichi replied dismissively. "There's no reason for Soi to feel that way."

"Soi is also from one of the four noble families?" Shaolin looked amazed.

"Well, no. Fon is one of the lower noble houses," Yoruichi admitted. "They have always been affiliated with my family. The Fon house traditionally serves the Shihouin house by joining the Onmitsukidou." She was quiet for a moment. "Soi was the only one from her generation to become a member of my personal guard, though."

Shaolin thought about what Yoruichi had said. "Wait a second. You said Soi is the head of her clan, but she should be the youngest. What happened to her brothers?"

Yoruichi's eyes darkened a little as she answered. "They all died before I met Soi."

Shaolin's face took on a sad look. "It was hard enough losing _one_ of my brothers. I can't imagine how it must have been for Soi to lose _all_ of them." She regarded Yoruichi with a thoughtful look. "I bet she thinks of you as her only family."

Yoruichi's head whipped around and she looked at Shaolin, wide-eyed. "What? Me?" She frowned as she contemplated the idea. Belatedly she noticed they had arrived at her doorstep. "Oh, we're here." She opened the door and stepped inside, beckoning for Shaolin to follow her, and headed straight for the kitchen area, glad for the interruption from her thoughts.

"I have fish. It's Soi's favorite, so it should be yours, too, right?" Yoruichi asked.

Shaolin chuckled. "Yes, it is. But why do you have Soi's favorite food in your kitchen?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. "Does she spend a lot of time here?" Up until now, Shaolin had been under the impression that Yoruichi and Soi were not dating.

Yoruichi paused. "No. Neither do I, actually. I'm normally too busy with my duties as a taichou." She smiled. "But other people occasionally stay here, so I try to keep everything well-stocked; that just happens to include fish."

"Other people? Like who?" Shaolin asked.

"Ichigo mostly, but the other Ryoka stay here sometimes as well."

"Kurosaki Ichigo? Why would he stay here?" In her own world, Ichigo and Yoru-chan were in different social circles, so it was hard to imagine such an arrangement.

Yoruichi snickered. "Byakuya-bo won't let him stay at the Kuchiki estate." She looked at Shaolin. "Oh, you didn't mean it that way." She grinned. "Sometimes his duties as a substitute Shinigami require him to come here, so he needed a place to stay when he visits. As you can tell, I have a lot of empty rooms, so it worked out."

"Ryoka? Substitute Shinigami? You'll have to tell me about it. It sounds like an interesting story."

"Oh, it is. It's also a long story. It will have to wait until after I talk to Yama-jii. In the meantime, pick out whatever you want to eat. If you get done before I'm back, go ahead and take a look around. I'm sure you're curious about the place," Yoruichi said.

Shaolin snorted. "You mean 'palace,'" she retorted teasingly. Yoruichi just rolled her eyes and then disappeared, leaving Shaolin alone for the moment. She peeked in the refrigerator, feeling somewhat comforted by the act. At least some things weren't different from her own world; fish was still fish; cold food was kept in refrigerator; and there were even chopsticks to eat with. She sat down to eat, sighing heavily. This was the first time she'd been alone all day, and the silence was unwelcome. Normally she enjoyed silence; but today it gave her too much time to think.

At the forefront of her concerns was the possibility of being forever stuck in the wrong world. The thought of never again seeing her Yoru-chan made her heart ache. As similar to each other as they looked and acted, Yoruichi could never replace Yoru-chan as far as Shaolin was concerned. Shaolin looked at her hands, reminded of how Yoruichi had been clenching her fists earlier. _Was she worried about never seeing Soi again? But they aren't even together like Yoru-chan and I are._ Shaolin frowned. _But maybe that makes it worse? She does seem to be in love with Soi; maybe she just hasn't had the chance to tell Soi how she feels? And now she might not be able to. How terrible her regret must be._ She pondered that for a moment. _I wonder why she hasn't told Soi. I'll have to ask her. Maybe I can encourage her to confess her feelings once this situation is fixed. _

Finishing her food, Shaolin stood up and then cleaned up her utensils, replacing things neatly where they belonged. She decided to listen to Yoruichi's suggestion to take a look around. It was something to do while she waited for Yoruichi to return. If she was lucky, maybe Kuukaku would come with the news that Kisuke had found a way to send Shaolin back to her own world. Shaolin could only hope.

Coming into what she guessed was the main area, her eyes were drawn to something in the farthest corner. A giant cat tree dominated the space. It wasn't so much wide as it was tall, with the main pole reaching up to the ceiling. Three shorter poles stood at each corner of the rectangular base. Instead of carpet, the majority of the tree was wrapped in sisal rope. Close to the bottom, a carpeted box where a cat could hide was built around two of the poles. In the middle of the tree, connected to three of the poles, was a wooden platform. A thick piece of rope hung from underneath it. About a foot above that platform, two of the shorter poles ended; one was topped by a small cat bed, and the other had another platform attached to it. The final platform was attached to the tallest pole. Spots of black fur dotted the parts of the tree covered in carpet and some of the rope was a little frayed, indicating that the tree was used frequently.

Shaolin couldn't help but smile a little. She loved cats, especially black ones. Noting that there were two entrances into the box at the bottom of the tree, she peeked in, hoping to find the cat sleeping. She nearly bumped her head on one of the platforms as she heard a light thump next to her. She turned and looked. The cat in question was sitting on the middle platform, looking at her with interest. Shaolin paused. Could the cat actually be looking at her? Wasn't she still invisible? She couldn't recall Yoruichi taking off the spell. Then again, she supposed it was possible that the spell didn't apply to animals.

"So you like cats too, huh?" The feline spoke in masculine voice.

Shaolin jumped and backed away, eyeing the creature suspiciously. "Did you just _talk_?" She frowned. "But to answer your question, yes, I like cats."

"Tch. You're not easy to shock." It was hard to read a cat's expression, but Shaolin could swear the black cat looked slightly disappointed.

"If an inanimate object like a sword can talk, it seems like it wouldn't be a stretch for a living creature to talk, even if it is a cat," Shaolin reasoned.

"Darn you and your logic." The cat sighed. Now Shaolin knew it really _was_ disappointed.

"Do people normally react in a shocked manner?" Shaolin asked, curious. "I can pretend I'm shocked if you want," she offered. She didn't like the idea of a sad cat.

The cat chuckled, although it sounded more like a purr. "No, I may still be able to shock you." The cat's eyes gleamed mischievously, and it jumped down onto the floor. There was a poof sound and suddenly Yoruichi stood naked before Shaolin.

Shaolin gaped. "_Yoruichi_? That cat was _you_? But how...how is that possible? On second thought, nevermind. I'm sure I don't want to know."

Yoruichi doubled over in laughter at Shaolin's expression. "Oh man, that never gets old!" She straightened up and grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't resist trying that on you. You've been taking everything so calmly; I wanted to make sure you weren't actually a robot or something," she teased lightly. Then her expression grew serious. "I don't suppose you heard anything from Kuukaku or Kisuke while I was gone?"

Shaolin shook her head glumly. "No," she answered. Then her face turned red as she realized, belatedly, that Yoruichi was naked. "Ack! Put some clothes on!"

Yoruichi laughed again. "Like you've never seen it before." But nonetheless, she disappeared, coming back a few seconds later fully clothed. "Is that better?"

Shaolin nodded, still blushing. "Yes, thank you." She gave Yoruichi a small smile. "You were going to tell me a story when you came back, right?"

"Yes, I was," Yoruichi remembered. "The story about Ichigo and the Ryoka. Let's go to the garden, and I'll tell you about it."

Shaolin agreed eagerly. Maybe she'd learn something that would help her figure out what was going on between Yoruichi and Soi. She followed Yoruichi outside to the gate she'd seen earlier, and they entered the garden. Yoruichi led Shaolin to a bench in a small clearing that overlooked a koi pond, and started on the story.


	11. Terrified

A/N: OMG you guys, thanks for all the alerts, faves, and reviews. I am really overwhelmed by the response ^_^ Thank you so much for reading!

Chapter Title notes: Terrified appears on Story of the Year's album The Black Swan.

* * *

_Are you still alive? Are you scared inside?  
When we've reached the end of the road  
I will carry us home_

_

* * *

  
_

"Shihouin-san? Shihouin-san!" the professor called for the second time.

Finally it registered with Yoruichi. "I'm sorry sir! Can you repeat the question?"

The professor shook his head. "Shihouin-san, I've asked it twice. Please pay more attention in class. This is unlike you. Fujigaki-san, why don't you give it a try?"

The next student called quickly answered the question and class moved on. Yoruichi looked down at her notes, only to find she hadn't actually been keeping any. The page was filled with meandering lines and little faces. Her mind was too occupied worrying about Soi, and wondering how Kisuke and Soifon were coming along with finding a way to open a gate. She continued to half-listening to the lecture, waiting and hoping her cell phone would vibrate to indicate she had received a text message.

* * *

Kuukaku had gone about her morning routine, albeit in the afternoon, once Kisuke had fixed her something to eat. The blonde man assured Soifon that once Kuukaku got out of the shower, she would be practicing on her drums in the living room for about 45 minutes. During this time, the shinigami would be able to tell him about the Soul Society in more detail without having to worry that Kuukaku would hear anything.

Kisuke sat at his computer while Soifon sat on the edge of his bed, looking slightly more uncomfortable than she had earlier when Yoruichi had also been present. He rapidly typed into the computer as she spoke, noting all the information he could get out of her and making sure not a word of it was wasted. He had her describe the senkai gate to him and asked if she could provide him with any illustrations, and Soifon copied Urahara's to the best of her ability, as well as the more official ones on the Soul Society side.

While she was drawing them up, they could hear Kuukaku firing up the drum set in the living room. They both laughed at that, Soifon a bit nervously and Kisuke happily. He seemed to like hearing her play. Soifon mentioned the time of day for so much noise, and Kisuke dismissed the roundabout complaint, saying most of the more uptight neighbors were at work, and everyone who wasn't was used to it by now. (Meaning they'd come over, seen Kuukaku, and decided it wasn't worth getting into an argument with her over it.) Soifon finished up her drawings and handed them over. She expected that whatever Kisuke came up with would look more like the one in the basement of Urahara Shoten than anything else, so she'd made that one bigger and put more detail into it.

After she finished telling him everything she knew that she thought might be of help, he continued typing and talking more casually. Soifon's gaze drifted over near his closet, where there was in fact a bass guitar. It was black fading to green around the outside edges, and looked well-cared-for. Once he saw her eyes had come to rest there, he grinned. "Yeah, Kuukaku-san was telling the truth. I used to play with them until school got too demanding to continue doing both."

Soifon nodded. "You seem to recall it happily."

Kisuke smiled. "I do. It was lots of fun, a long time ago, it seems. It hasn't really been that long, but I'm glad that Kuukaku stayed with the band, she kinda held everyone together. Or I guess more correctly, everyone stuck together for her. It was a rough time for a while there."

"What happened?" the Chinese woman asked.

"Ah, no one's told you, of course. It's about Yun-san." He glanced at Soifon, knowing exactly what reaction just her brother's name had on Shaolin. Soifon's sadness seemed less personal though, and he continued. "He and Kuukaku-san used to date. The accident happened a short while after I left the band. She was hurt really bad by it, almost as much as Soi-chan. They used to have their own apartment, but she couldn't go back there afterwards without breaking down, so she just started crashing here. Your – I mean, Shaolin's brothers, were the ones who had to pack the apartment up, we just asked them to bring her stuff here."

Soifon looked surprised taking all of this in. "So, were all of you close? I mean, Shaolin too?"

Kisuke shook his head. "Not really, Kuukaku-san knew Soi-chan through Yun, of course, but they weren't ever that close. And Yoru-chan and Kuukaku-san have been best friends since they were kids. But Yoru-chan had never met Soi-chan before I introduced them."

"So did you actively play matchmaker, or was it accidental?" Soifon asked, cutting right to the heart of the matter.

"Ooh, you're a sharp one," he noted, his typing stopping momentarily to mark his surprise.

Soifon allowed herself a smile. "After over a hundred years of watching people, you pick some things up."

"I'll have to watch myself around you," he commented, his typing picking back up. "I guess you could say I took Yoru-chan to the shop with the intention of introducing them, but once she saw Soi-chan, there was no meddling I needed to do. She fell really hard. Soi-chan took a while, but with Yoru-chan as persistent as she is, I think Soi-chan gave in to a date just to shut her up. So of course, Yoru-chan went as all-out as you can for coffee, knowing that it was probably her only shot. And Soi-chan thought it was sweet, and that Yoru-chan wasn't as bad as she'd expected, and from there you can guess how things went. Or do you _have_ to guess?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

Soifon looked away from his gaze, the corner of her mouth pulling upwards. "I don't suppose you know how Yoruichi-san knew that I wasn't her Soi?" she asked quietly.

"How?"

Soifon turned so her back faced Kisuke, and pulled the collar of her shirt down so part of her shoulder blade was exposed. "Evidently Shaolin has a tattoo."

"So … she got your shirt off?" he beamed. "That's why you had it on inside-out! That is awesome!"

Soifon turned back to face him. "It's somewhat less awesome when you realize what you're missing," she admitted.

Kisuke frowned. "So you're saying that this gate thing is causing you to miss out on some sweet Yoru-chan lovin'?"

"Unfortunately, no, my own unwillingness to admit my feelings to her is causing me to miss out on, as you so tastefully put it, 'sweet Yoru-chan lovin'.'" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that might not be the _only_ thing. I guess, when I make it back, it's at least going to be up to Yoruichi-sama to decide. But I'm going to come clean and tell her."

"Wai- What!?" Kisuke sounded honestly astonished. "You – she – she doesn't even _know?_"

"Well … no." Soifon sighed. "Not in the 'I've told her' type of way. I mean, she knows I admire her, and that she used to be a goddess to me, but I was so young then, maybe she thinks I've outgrown seeing her that way. We work together, so I've mostly quit being flustered around her except in private."

"Well, get out. I need to work on this stupid gate." He looked up at her, away from his notes. "Go on, shoo. Go out and watch some tv with Kuukaku-san. She should be packing up the drums for now. I have work to do."

"Wait, what about you and Kuukaku-san!" Soifon exclaimed, pointing at him accusingly.

He put down the drawing Soifon had given him and looked at her. "What about us? There's nothing between us."

She nodded, her braids bobbing. "But you wish there was. Were you going to tell me what happened, since you think you can't tell Shaolin?"

He sighed and lowered his head. "I knew I was going to have to watch myself around you. Well I don't know if we have time now, she's going to stop playing soon."

"So spit it out!" she urged him.

"Okay, so I'm in love with her. She doesn't want a relationship right now anyway."

"And?" the shinigami prompted.

"And I think that Shuhei-san is replacing me in more ways than one."

"Aaaaand?"

"All right. She got together with Yun-san when I was studying abroad in America. I came back and she had a boyfriend. So you know, that's gotta hurt. But he was a good guy and I wanted the best for them, so I didn't meddle. I just wish I could finally be the man she deserves, that's why I'm trying to make something of myself with all this. Get a stable career and not have to worry about money. The rock star gig is thousands to one, they're good but hardly anyone makes enough money to get by on that alone." He blurted this all out as quickly as he could, finishing up just when the drums died down.

Soifon grinned triumphantly. "Tell her."

"What, which part?" he cried, frustrated.

"All of it. She deserves to know." The raven-haired woman stood and made her way to the door. "Let me know if you need anything else!" She exited and pulled the door shut behind her.

Kisuke got up with a sigh and locked it. He paused at the desk to pick up a paper, then went to the corner and pulled his bass carefully aside. Opening the closet door, he carefully examined the first of three cylindrical structures, comparing it critically to the drawing Soifon had made for him. A flattened base into which two of the cylinders would connect leaned against the back wall of the closet. "I'm going to have to tell him to switch them back quick, before she ruins my life," he muttered to himself.


	12. Pieces of Myself

A/N: This chapter written by PhoenixChase.

_Title notes:_  
From the song _Hitomi no Kakera_ (_fragments of an ey_e) from the Madlax soundtrack  
Lyrics by Yuki Kajiura  
Sung by FictionJunction YUUKA

* * *

_Anata no mune ni wasureta  
watashi no kakera  
mada soko ni aru?  
(translation)  
The piece of myself  
I left in your heart  
Is it still there?

* * *

  
_

"And that's the story of Ichigo, the Ryoka, and Aizen," Yoruichi concluded. "Any more questions?" she teased. Shaolin had interrupted her so many times already that she'd thought she'd never get to the end of the long tale. But now Yoruichi was finished and Shaolin appeared deep in thought, as if she was thinking of more questions to ask. Whatever she was thinking about was making her frown. It was the expression that Soi wore the most often, and seeing it on Shaolin sharpened Yoruichi's ache for her Soi. She often encouraged the younger Shinigami to smile more; but secretly she loved all of Soi's expressions, and the idea that she might never see them again was something she didn't want to think about.

"You love her, don't you?" Shaolin asked suddenly, catching Yoruichi looking at her.

Yoruichi eyed Shaolin for a moment before she nodded. It wouldn't do her any good to lie about it.

"Was it love at first sight for you the same way it was for Yoru-chan?"

Now it was Yoruichi's turn to frown in thought. "It may have been, but I think I didn't recognize it as such. Soi was too young when I first met her. By Soul Society standards, anyway. I was drawn to her, though."

"When did you realize you loved her?"

Yoruichi snorted. "When it was too late, naturally." Her eyes had a pained look to them. "It was after we left Soul Society and settled in the world of the living. I was so accustomed to seeing Soi every day, and then one day she wasn't there; and I realized how much I took for granted." She sighed. "Not being able to see Soi; not being able to have conversations with her; not being able to train with her; not having someone to tease...the loss hit me hard."

"There's a saying for times like that. 'You don't know what you've got until it's gone'," Shaolin said.

"It's true," Yoruichi replied sadly.

"But if you realized you loved her, why didn't you tell her when you came back?" Shaolin asked.

Yoruichi frowned. "She had changed so much from what I remembered. And I had changed. Everything had changed. I couldn't be sure she still felt the same after so many years. I had to make sure _I_ felt the same. I thought it would be better to get to know each other again."

"You fell out of love?" Shaolin asked, confused.

"It wasn't that," Yoruichi said. She struggled to find the right words. "I guess I was just a little hurt by her reaction. Of all people, I would have thought she would have been the first to realize that something was going on; that I wouldn't leave without a good reason. Instead, I found out that she spent the years I was gone training in order to kill me for being a traitor. I thought she knew me better than that." Her tone had a slight bitterness to it.

Shaolin considered Yoruichi's words carefully. "You said that Byakuya thought you were dead?" she asked finally. "And that Soi asked you why you didn't take her with you?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"I think I may be able to give you some insight," Shaolin answered. "You should really ask Soi; but I have a theory that might help you understand her reaction."

"Oh? Let's hear it, then." Yoruichi gave Shaolin her full attention.

"If Byakuya thought you were dead, it's reasonable to think Soi might have heard the same thing. But for her, it was too painful to consider that possibility. So she convinced herself that she hated you instead. Hating you meant you were still alive," Shaolin offered.

Yoruichi looked away, her expression thoughtful. "I can understand that," she said finally. Her gaze returned to Shaolin. "But why did she seem like she wanted to kill me?"

"In the back of her mind lingered the idea that you were dead. As the years went by and you didn't return, it became more of a possibility, which scared her. So when you finally showed up and offered no explanation, her natural reaction was anger. It's like when a child wanders away and when the mother finds the child, she scolds him: 'Don't scare me like that!' The anger is a result of the fear," Shaolin explained. "As far as her trying to kill you - was it really a possibility?"

Yoruichi thought about it. "No, probably not."

Shaolin smiled gently. "You were probably holding back, right? You're a lot faster than her, and more experienced. You were never in danger. Isn't that why you fought her yourself instead of letting someone else do it?"

The corners of Yoruichi's mouth curved up a little. "Well that, and there was no one else available to do it at the time," she admitted.

"And then she asked you why you didn't take her with you. That implies that she probably did realize at some point that you wouldn't leave without good reason. It's also likely that her anger was directed at herself. She may have thought that you didn't take her with you because she wasn't strong enough. That belief, along with trying to distract herself from the thought of you being dead, was probably the real reason she trained so hard." Shaolin looked at Yoruichi. "If you ask me, I don't think she ever stopped loving you."

"Really?" Yoruichi looked hopeful.

Shaolin chuckled. "Really." She looked at Yoruichi. "You should talk to her. I know neither of you are great with talking about emotional issues, but I think in this case it would be worth it."

Yoruichi stared into the koi pond contemplatively. "I'll tell her," she resolved. Then she sighed, looking pained again. "I just hope I get the chance."

They both sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Then a loud bell chimed the time, interrupting the silence.

"Tch. I lost track of time. I'm supposed to be training Kira right now," Yoruichi chided herself. She stood up and offered Shaolin a hand. "You might as well come with me while we wait for word from Kisuke."

Shaolin looked at Yoruichi in mild alarm. "Training? As in, fighting? I'm not going to have to pretend I'm Soi, am I?"

Yoruichi chuckled. "No, you're still invisible, silly. I've done training exercises with the squad without Soi's help before; this time won't be any different," she reassured Shaolin. She wiggled her hand and grinned. "Come on. I won't let anything happen to you." Shaolin reluctantly acquiesced, allowing Yoruichi to help her up. She then resumed her position on Yoruichi's back, knowing they would be traveling by shunpo to their destination.

When they arrived, Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh. "What are all of you doing here?" she asked, seeing quite a few Shinigami that weren't part of her squad. Shaolin took the opportunity to drop quietly down to the ground while any sounds she made would be covered by conversation, and moved away from the crowd.

"Well, Kira was so excited that it made Matsumoto curious, so she asked him what was going on, and course she told everyone else, and then they all wanted a piece of the action," Abarai Renji explained.

Kuchiki Rukia rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, Yoruichi-dono. That's only half true. Nii-sama heard about Kira and sent us to get some training as well. Renji just doesn't want to admit it."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Byakuya-bo sent you, huh? So I take it he's going to consider letting you become a seated officer, finally?"

Rukia nodded somewhat shyly.

"Well, it's about time," Yoruichi stated approvingly. "Juushiro will be pleased to finally fill in his fukutaichou position."

Rukia made a surprised face. Kurosaki Ichigo squeezed her hand in encouragement. "See, Rukia? I told you that you could be a fukutaichou," he said, smiling warmly at her.

Yoruichi smiled at their interaction before turning to her most surprising guest. "And what about you?" she asked curiously. "It's not often I train other captains," she added teasingly.

Hitsugaya Toshiro wore his trademark scowl. "I'm not here for me. I came to make sure this one," he nodded in Matsumoto's direction, "did some training for once." Despite his words, his lips curled up slightly in a teasing smile.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto Rangiku protested. "I'll have you know that I train all the time." She looked at Hitsugaya and they smiled at each other.

"Enough talk," Madarame Ikkaku complained. "Let's get started already." As always, he was itching for a fight.

Yoruichi turned to him, suddenly all business. "Are you willing? My lessons aren't for the faint of heart."

Ikkaku paused at the abrupt shift in her demeanor. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," he replied finally.

"Good. Then we'll get started." She made a motion with her hand and a black-garbed figure appeared in front of her, bowing respectfully. Yoruichi addressed her guests. "The first order of business: you will all hand over your zanpakutos. Hakuda does not require a weapon." She looked at the keigun member. "Please collect their zanpakutos."

"Hai, taichou." The ninja obeyed orders, gathering the weapons.

When Yoruichi was sure they were all zanpakuto free, she looked at her squad as well as her guests. "This is how it's going to work; I'm going to have my squad test you on your skills, and then you will be trained according to your current skill level." She grinned and addressed her squad. "Start off easy on them, and work your way up. Pretend they are new recruits to the Onmitsukido." Then she stood back and watched as everyone obeyed her orders.

It was hard to tell but it seemed like she was enjoying herself, Hitsugaya noted. "Did you miss being a taichou?" he asked curiously.

A small smile played on her lips. "I did, actually," she admitted. "It's nice to be back," she added.

Hitsugaya was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said.

Yoruichi turned and looked at him, understanding what he was getting at, but not why. "Sorry? Why? You weren't even here when I left."

"I know, but it just strikes me as unfair that you were forced to leave and then you still fought on our side. Hell, you practically won us the war."

Yoruichi snorted. "That's an exaggeration if ever I heard one. Nothing I did would have been possible without everyone else's help."

Hitsugaya frowned. "Perhaps," he conceded. "But you have to admit that just the fact that you and Ichigo were the last ones standing was a feat in itself. If either of you had fallen, there wouldn't have been anyone left who could continue to fight, and Aizen could have retreated and kept the war going. That's what I meant when I said you won us the war."

"Why do you have to be so logical?" she asked, sighing dramatically. She looked at him sideways with a teasing grin. "I guess that's what I get for having a conversation with a prodigy." She laughed when he blushed. "But enough talking; I can see that I need to help with the training this time around," she said. Hitsugaya nodded in understanding, and Yoruichi went around the room, giving everyone pointers.

After a while, Yoruichi called an end to the training session and dismissed her squad, and let the other Shinigami know that they were welcome to come back again the next day. When the room was finally empty, Yoruichi sat down heavily. "I'm glad that's over." She sighed morosely.

Shaolin sat down next to her. "Harder than you expected?" she asked.

"Mmhm. I was distracted. I kept hoping Kuukaku would show up with good news."

Shaolin smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I noticed you kept looking at the door. Well, except when you were talking to Hitsugaya, anyway." She looked at Yoruichi, almost accusingly. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, by the way. So you were one of the last ones who was standing? You left that part out when you told me the story. Any reason why?"

Yoruichi looked away. "It's...complicated."

"How so?" Shaolin persisted.

"You really want to know?" Yoruichi asked. Shaolin nodded. Yoruichi sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you. But not here. We'll go back to my place."

In a matter of minutes they were back in the garden, as if they'd never left. Yoruichi stared into the koi pond, contemplating the best way to explain. "I don't think I deserve the praise people give me. What I did...it wasn't for Soul Society's benefit. I wonder if they would regard me so highly if they knew that I wasn't thinking of them at all at the time."

"What exactly did you do? Obviously, Soul Society won, so it must have been _something_ important."

Yoruichi smiled ruefully. "I guess you could say that. I ended up having to fight Gin and Tousen at the same time, and I managed to defeat them, which left Ichigo free to defeat Aizen."

Shaolin gaped at Yoruichi, and then frowned. "Well, regardless of your reasons, the end result is the same, isn't it? I don't think it would matter. So what was the reason? Can you tell me about the fight in detail?"

Yoruichi looked at Shaolin, an unreadable expression on her face. Then she sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt." She shook her head. "I've never actually told this story to anyone," she mused quietly. "You'll be the first to hear it." The look of resolve from earlier resurfaced. "I didn't even tell Soi - but I will when I see her."

"It has to do with her," Shaolin surmised.

Yoruichi nodded. "Everything to do with her."

Shaolin smiled. "Then this should be a good story," she said, listening closely as Yoruichi started speaking.

* * *

Chapter notes: I know I did the chapter 10 leaving off with a story, too, but this time I'm actually going to have Yoruichi tell the story in chapter 14 instead of starting with her having already told it like I did with this one. Also, there were hints of IchiRuki and HitsuMatsu in the chapter if you look hard enough. XD


	13. So Far So Good

**A/N:** Hi guys! ^__^ Thanks again for reading! This will be the last chapter from me before I return from my vacation, which I am spending in New York with my family for my birthday. Please be patient and accept my apology that I won't be able to update for a couple weeks. I am thinking Phoenix can finish her chapter before vacation, but she may not be able to. Her next chapter has been like the baby of this project for her, she has been working on it for a really long time, probably since she began her side of the story, so please look forward to it!

_Chapter title notes:_ Another Story of the Year song, this was when they were called Big Blue Monkey. The album was called Story of the Year, as was one of the songs on it. Upon finding there was another band called Big Blue Monkey and wanting to avoid confusion with that band, they ended up calling themselves Story of the Year as well. So this is SotY as Big Blue Monkey, from Story of the Year, the song is So Far So Good. And yeah I will shut up and post the lyrics now.

* * *

all that I promised to myself  
another word misplaced tonight  
all that I'm holding in  
why am I holding in

* * *

Yoruichi burst through the door almost violently and began kicking out of her shoes as quickly as possible, tossing her bag next to the couch. Kuukaku stared at the bag for a moment, then turned and gave her best friend a baffled look. "What the hell's the rush, Yoru?"

The dark-skinned student paused and looked into the living room. Soifon and Kuukaku were sitting in the living room watching cartoons, both staring at Yoruichi curiously. Her left shoe hadn't come off as easily as the right, and she was midway through struggling to pull it off by standing on the heel and trying to jerk her foot out of the shoe by force. "Ah … just eager to get home?"

"Aww ain't that cute?" the busty musician said, shooting a glance over to Soifon. "She wanted ta rush right home to ya!" She grinned devilishly. "You two gonna just start goin' at it again or what?"

Soifon turned an appropriate shade of red on behalf of her counterpart, and Yoruichi buried her face in her hands. "Agh, you heard us too? You were totally gone by the time we got home!"

"Or so you thought! Ha ha ha! Maybe ya better ask around th' neighborhood, see who else knows what you pair were up to." Kuukaku seemed to be having too much fun embarrassing her friend. "Seriously, my room's right next ta yours, think maybe there's a reason I crashed on the couch?"

"Because it's closer to the bathroom?" Soifon asked with a smirk.

"Ah, shut it, Fong," she replied good-naturedly. "I really am happy fer you guys. I might not show it the same way as others, but I'm happy for ya. Yer a good kid, Fong. A terrible alarm clock, but a good kid. If I'da known you'd make Yoru this happy I woulda brung her around earlier."

Yoruichi finally extricated her foot and sat down beside Soifon on the loveseat. "It's okay, things worked out anyway. Even if Kisuke had more to do with it than you did. I swear he took me there on purpose."

Soifon turned her gaze upwards to meet Yoruichi's golden eyes. "He did."

"That crafty sunnuva bitch," the Shiba girl grinned, "I'm gonna blame him fer my bad sleep last night."

Kisuke's door opened and closed, and footsteps padded down towards the living room. "You're blaming me for what now?" he asked, plopping down next to her on the couch with a cheerful grin.

"These two," she answered, indicating them with a nod of her head.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't take full credit for that," he smiled. "I'm pretty sure she put something in Soi-chan's coffee."

Yoruichi was surprised when Soifon cuffed her on the arm. "You didn't!"

The darker woman rubbed her arm a little. "No, of course I didn't! Geez! You stalk someone for a few months and this is the conclusion they all jump to."

Playing it up a little, Soifon leaned against Yoruichi with a satisfied smile. The taller girl somewhat awkwardly put her arm around Soifon, remembering belatedly Kuukaku needed to believe that the Chinese woman beside her was Shaolin. She itched to ask Kisuke how much he'd gotten done, but wouldn't have a chance until Kuukaku was gone to set up for that night's gig. She hoped that his appearance in the living room indicated he was closer to an answer.

"So what time is Ganju coming over?" the Shihouin girl asked casually.

"Mmm, about half an hour," Kuukaku replied. "We got time for one more show, if he ain't late." The drummer lay back on the couch, plopping her legs across Kisuke's lap. She turned to look at the tv and didn't see the faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He let one hand rest on Kuukaku's legs and the other casually dangled over the arm of the sofa.

Soifon nudged Yoruichi, who looked down at her curiously. The shinigami pointed at Kisuke's pleased expression. He caught them looking and frowned at them, waving his free hand towards the television. Soifon grinned victoriously at him before turning her attention to the characters on the screen. Mission accomplished; Yoruichi now had the idea that the blonde man liked the brash musician. Even if he didn't do anything while Soifon was here to witness the results, she knew eventually Yoruichi would be able to pester him into admitting his feelings for her.

A few minutes later, a roaring engine could be heard tearing down the street. Soifon had never heard anything like it and was alert, and the engine grew louder and louder as it neared the house. No one else really seemed to pay it any mind. Just when it seemed like the vehicle was near enough to come smashing through the window, a squeal of brakes signaled its halt. Soifon, unable to sit still any more, jumped up and opened the door to stick her head out and make sure no one was dead.

"Ah Fong, chill out. It's just Ganju. Man yer high-strung today," Kuukaku commented, giving Soifon an annoyed look before turning her attention back to the television. "Yoru, ya gotta take it easy on the kid from now on, okay? Maybe only go fer half the night instead'a all night. I think she's overtired 'r somethin'."

Soifon, although beet red, looked offended. "I am not overtired. I feel completely well-rested. And please don't talk about me as though I'm not here, or tell Yoruichi how to take care of me. We're perfectly fine." She peered out on the sidewalk to see Ganju, wearing a green bandana on his head, a sleeveless green t-shirt, and torn black jeans hop out of the truck energetically. He patted the truck on the fender as he made his way to the house. Soifon let him in with a polite nod, and closed the door behind him.

"Ganju, yer actually early?" Kuukaku asked, turning towards her younger brother.

He grinned widely. "No nee-san, they moved it up 'cause Yumichika needed extra time beforehand. Somethin' about the sound checks taking longer at this club, only he said it in snooty violin talk."

The Shiba woman sat up, abruptly pulling her legs out of Kisuke's lap. "An' nobody thought ta call me!?"

His grin turned somewhat fearful but stayed in place. "But nee-san, I called ya twice, an' it went straight ta voicemail." He reached hastily into his jeans pocket and pulled out what looked to Soifon like a soul pager, and offered it to his sister. "Check my call log!"

She shook her head, then got up and pulled up the horrid-colored cushion she'd been lying on. After a few second of searching around, she pulled out a device of her own, flipped it open, and pressed a button on it. Unsatisfied with the results of pushing the button, she pushed it again. A moment later, she tapped it repeatedly, growling with frustration. "Thing's dead," she snarled, and took off down the hallway, brushing past Ganju, who rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry guys, I did try an' get ahold of her before. I know she likes ta spend time with all of ya," he apologized. "If Yumichika wasn't such a prima donna…. I swear he's worse than both the girls in th' band combined." He moved into the living room and grabbed the seat from behind the drum kit and headed out the door with it. "I'm just gonna get started packin' her kit out ta Bonnie-chan."

A couple of minutes later Ganju was back from the truck, which Soifon could only assume was called Bonnie. Kuukaku came out of her bedroom wearing a clean but hastily-tied white bandana on her head, making her hair stick out crazily through the wrapping. She hauled a large pair of cases behind her. "If you guys need ta get ahold of me between now an' the show, go ahead an' call one of the guys. I gotta charge my phone. Kisuke, if it's done by the time yer ready to head out, could ya grab it for me?"

Kisuke jumped up and was making to grab one of the cases. "Not a problem, Kuukaku-san," he assured her, and pulled one of the cases over in front of the drum kit. She followed him with the second case and together they began breaking the drums down and putting them into the cases for transport to the club. All the hardware that held the kit together went into Ganju's waiting hands, and he put them into their own smaller case that he'd brought in from the truck. Soifon could only watch fascinated as they worked together with practiced speed to pack everything up.

Within a few more minutes Yoruichi nudged Soifon up, and the both got up to see the Shibas off. Yoruichi quickly moved to help get the cases into the back of the truck, and the next thing Soifon knew she, Yoruichi, and Kisuke were heading back into the house. Once they got back inside, Yoruichi fixed Kisuke with a look. "Please tell me you came out of your room because you had a solution, not because you wanted to lounge around with Kuukaku on your lap."

Kisuke shot a glance at Soifon, almost pleading. "Why'd you have to point it out to her, Soifon-san?"

The black-haired woman shook her head. "Don't blame me for this! You know she would have noticed on her own eventually. Have you at least been able to make contact with Soul Society?"

"Not yet, but I have something set up in case word comes through from their end. My computer will document it and auto-respond if I'm away. Based on the data I gathered, I think I've got a decent handle on how to make a senkai gate actually work, but I need to hear from your world first to make sure I've got a good understanding." He opened his door and showed his progress. He'd pushed most of his furniture aside and a flat rectangle with rounded indentations on the top near either end sat in the middle of the floor. It was covered with layers of small sheets that, to Soifon's trained eyes, did look quite reminiscent of those covering the senkai gate in the basement of Urahara Shoten. Strands of wires and circuits hung out of it, looking half-finished. A couple cylinders leaned against the wall and a third cylinder, the same length as the base, was lying on his bed. His desk was covered with notes and the drawings Soifon had made for him, and post-its with mathematical notations stuck over several of the sheets and the monitor of his computer. "Once we actually make contact with one another, the other, well, _me_, should be able to let me know if what I've inferred is right. And he ought to be able to guide me through the rest of the way with making sure everything is aligned to connect correctly to the other side."

"Wow, it's amazing you've gotten so much done since this morning," Yoruichi said in surprise.

He bowed his head to look at the part that would form the base of the gate. "As you can see … it isn't quite ready yet, but I think I have the parts in order and I don't think I'll need to buy anything more than what I've already got. Actually, Soifon-san did me a favor breaking the other meter, I needed a couple of the parts in it and would have had to take it back apart anyway."

Soifon merely nodded. "Good, hopefully you'll be in touch with one another soon."

Kisuke sighed. "Yes, hopefully."


	14. Like You'll Never See Me Again

Chapter Notes: This chapter is written by PhoenixChase. There's a flashback in this chapter, and the only way I could really indicate it was by inserting a horizontal line. -_-' In the original she used colored text, but I can't do that over here.  
Italics = thoughts  
Bold Italics = zanpakuto-spirit's "voice"

Title Notes: From the song of the same name by Alicia Keys. I even used some of the lyrics in the chapter. ^_^

* * *

"Well, remember how I told you that Aizen managed to break into Soul Society, and the fight continued there? I was busy transporting the wounded, so I wasn't able to join the fight right away, even though I wanted to help. By the time I was able to fight, it was just me and Ichigo against Gin, Tousen, and Aizen. Initially, I was only fighting Tousen, while Ichigo took on Gin and Aizen. But when Aizen saw how much trouble Tousen was having with me, he ordered Gin to help him. The three of us fought fiercely. Eventually, I eliminated Tousen." Yoruichi paused for a moment, remembering the fight.

"That evened the odds for you," Shaolin remarked.

"Yes. But that's also where it started to get bad. I used up a lot of energy fighting both of them while simultaneously trying not to get killed." She continued with her story.  


* * *

_  
This isn't good. My bankai disappeared_, Yoruichi thought tiredly, wiping blood out of her eyes. It was widely known that when a Shinigami's bankai went away on its own, it meant the wielder was close to death. _I won't last much longer at this rate._

Someone spoke up, momentarily distracting Yoruichi from her thoughts. "How pathetic, _Shunshin_." The last part was emphasized scathingly. "So this is all your true power amounts to in the end."

"Tch. My true power was enough to make you and Tousen have to fight me two against one," Yoruichi sneered. "And now look; it's just you and me. I'd say I did pretty well."

"You think so? Your bankai disappearing tells another story," Gin taunted with a sneer of his own. "It tells me you're close to death." His usual grin grew wider as he suddenly thrust out his zanpakuto.

Yoruichi didn't have the energy to completely dodge the attack, and Gin's zanpakuto stabbed through her. He laughed triumphantly, retracting his blade as she gasped and dropped to her knees before falling on the ground face down.

"I'd say it was nice to know you, but we both know that's not true," Gin mocked. He moved to finish her off. "Bye bye!"

_Shit. I can't move. Is this really it?_ Yoruichi closed her eyes. _I'm going to die here._

Unbidden, an image of Soi Fon popped into her head. The petite taichou had been badly injured during her fight, but would live, thanks to the timely arrival of reinforcements for Soul Society's side. She was probably resting impatiently in the triage area, worrying about Yoruichi and wishing she could still fight. Yoruichi frowned mentally as she imagined someone telling Soi that she had died. Knowing how Soi would take such news, an intense agony that had nothing to do with her physical wounds surged through the purple-haired woman. _She'll hate me for leaving her again, for leaving her forever. I can't do that to her. I can't hurt her like that. I can't stand the thought of her being lonely without me. I can't stand the thought of dying without having told her how much I love her. _Her fists clenched tightly as she was gripped by a feeling of utter helplessness. _Dammit. If only I was stronger._

_**You're not helpless**_, her zankaputo spirit stated firmly. _**And you can get stronger.**_

Yoruichi's eyes opened in mild shock. _What do you mean, Shishi no Tsume? I have already given everything I have and I'm about to be killed. How could I possibly get stronger in time to prevent my death?_

Shishi no Tsume sighed. _**How quickly you forget your own words. "People discover their true, inner powers when they want to protect something. Their own lives...status...honor...loved ones...a principle...a fierce desire to protect is the key." You said it yourself; the heart and soul are connected, and the state of the heart is crucial. You have never actually fought with everything, since you have never fought from the heart before. But now that your heart has revealed what is most precious to you, you can call upon your full power. Would you like to do that now and win this fight, and live for Soi?**_

What felt like a long moment passed; blood dripped out ever so slowly from her multiple wounds, like a broken hourglass leaking sand.

Like the tears that Soi would shed if Yoruichi did not make it out alive.

The former taichou made her decision.

_Yes. Give me everything._

_**I thought you would say that**_, Shishi no Tsume replied in satisfaction. _**But I hope I don't need to tell you to get this over with as quickly as possible**_, he cautioned. _**You may have to help Ichigo finish off Aizen.**_

_Not to mention, you can't stop me from bleeding indefinitely. I'll need to get to Retsu or Orihime for that. But first things first; it's time to teach Gin a lesson. _

Just as Gin's blade was about to hit her, she rolled out of his reach, grabbing her zanpakuto from the ground where it had fallen, and climbed to a standing position. Before he could react, she shunpoed to his location and slammed him into the ground hard enough to create a small crater. Yoruichi almost laughed at his dumbfounded expression, which quickly grew panicked as she let her reiatsu flare to full power.

"W-what the hell?" Gin stood up shakily, his sword arm broken and useless. "You were almost dead a second ago. How did you get this strong?" He frowned, looking down at his arm and trying to comprehend what was happening. Then he had an idea. "Well it looks like I can't fight anymore. What a pity. I guess I'll have to surrender." He held up his one good hand and Yoruichi lowered her sword. Gin laughed. "I knew I could count on you to be honorable," he derided, switching his weapon to his good hand and lunging at Yoruichi, who countered easily.

"Honorable? Nah. I just knew I could count on you to try to trick me, so I played along." She shook her head. "Like I would really fall for something that predictable." Abruptly, she stabbed him through the chest.

He looked down in shock, and then back up, meeting icy golden eyes. "I didn't think...you would actually do it."

Yoruichi smiled, but it was without mirth. "Just because Aizen never saw me kill anyone doesn't mean it didn't happen. What kind of assassin would I be if I was found out?" She pulled her zanpakuto free of Gin. "Besides, I can't let you go just so you can turn around and kill me. I'm not ready to die just yet." She looked at him with grim resignation. "You really should have surrendered, you know. You might have been able to get a fair trial that way. But since you didn't...you leave me no choice but to kill you." With a quick slice of her zanpakuto, she made good on her word, and Gin's body fell to the ground, lifeless. She sheathed her zanpakuto and was preparing to shunpo to Ichigo's location when he surprised her by appearing suddenly.

"Ichigo? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be fighting Aizen?" Yoruichi asked.

Ichigo had an odd expression on his face as he surveyed the area. Finally his eyes rested back on Yoruichi. "It _was_ you."

"What are you talking about?" Yoruichi asked, puzzled. There was a strong hint of admiration coloring his words, and she tried to fathom why. Then she realized Aizen's reiatsu had disappeared. "What happened to Aizen?" she asked. "Don't tell me you defeated him already."

Ichigo nodded slowly, and then grinned in triumph. "I was fighting Aizen when you released your reiatsu, and it distracted him long enough for me to take advantage and finish him off," he explained. His expression turned to one of curiosity. "What did you do, anyway? One moment Aizen was taunting me that soon I'd be all alone; and then next thing I know he's practically crapping his pants."

Yoruichi eyed him. "You're bleeding. Profusely. We should get to the healers," she said, changing the subject. She wasn't about to tell him what had happened; it was too personal.

"You're one to talk. You have a hole in your chest. How are you still alive?" he asked, persisting in trying to find out what had happened.

"He missed the vital organs," Yoruichi said simply. "Let's go. It wouldn't do for us to bleed to death standing here."

Ichigo scowled. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" he asked.

"Not while there are people waiting to see if we're okay," Yoruichi replied, answering his question in a roundabout way.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment before his features softened. "I think I understand." He smiled gently. "Alright, let's go."

They made their way to the main building of the fourth division, where the triage area had been set up. Everyone there was currently in some stage of injury, even the healers; though their injuries were minor compared to most. Those who were able to looked up at Yoruichi and Ichigo's entrance. Realizing what their appearance meant, several Shinigami cheered.

Before they could go anywhere, both were surrounded by Inoue Orihime's Sōten Kisshun. Unohana Retsu stood by, waiting. Earlier, because so many Shinigami were injured, the two strongest healers had been in danger of depleting their own reiatsu if they did too much healing. As a result, they were forced to heal only as much as was necessary to prevent death. In this case, however, Ichigo and Yoruichi were the last to need healing, so they felt safe in fully healing the two warriors.

From behind Orihime's barrier, Yoruichi's eyes roamed the room, searching for Soi Fon. When she didn't spot the younger woman, she frowned. Just as she was about to leave the barrier, healed or not, Orihime finished and the barrier was removed. Yoruichi moved to take a step but was stopped by Unohana. "Shihouin-san, even though you've been healed, you should rest."

Yoruichi sighed impatiently. "I will, but I have some business to take care of first," she replied. "Where is Soi Fon?" she asked quietly.

"She wanted to go fight even though she was heavily injured. We had to incapacitate her to even heal her," Unohana stated matter-of-factly.

"I see," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "I thought that might happen." She glanced at Unohana. "Do you think it would be alright if I saw her?"

Unohana looked at Yoruichi questioningly. "I don't see why you couldn't," she replied after a moment. "It might actually help her calm down," she added, frowning thoughtfully. "She's in her own room in the building across the way. When you go in, it's the first door to the left."

Yoruichi nodded her thanks before heading to her destination. When she reached the desired room, she stopped in the doorway and observed Soi quietly. Preoccupied with trying to take off the reiatsu-sealing gauntlets on her arms, Soi didn't notice Yoruichi right away.

"Trying to take them off won't work, Little Bee," Yoruichi finally spoke up, smiling gently. "You ought to know that," she teased.

Soi started, surprised. She looked up, forgetting about her arms for the moment. "Yoruichi-sama!" Several emotions played across her face; relief was dominant for a moment before being overtaken by curiosity. "What happened to Aizen? Is he really gone?" She spoke the last words in a whisper, as if she was afraid he would hear.

Yoruichi tried not to laugh at Soi's reaction as she answered the question. "Yes. Ichigo defeated him."

Soi fell back in the bed and closed her eyes. "It's really over. Thank goodness," she breathed, relaxing visibly. After a moment she opened her eyes and focused her gaze on Yoruichi. "What are you going to do now, Yoruichi-sama?" she asked.

"Rest," Yoruichi replied. "Retsu's orders." She grinned playfully when Soi gave her a look. "You mean, am I going to stay in Soul Society?" Yoruichi guessed.

Soi blushed and nodded.

"Of course. Everything I care about is here," Yoruichi answered seriously.

Soi looked almost surprised by her answer. "You're not going back to the world of the living?" Her expression became unreadable. "What about Kisuke?" she asked.

Yoruichi paused at the ambiguity of Soi's question, and then decided on the safest way to answer. "He's not leaving either. He wouldn't do that to Kuukaku."

Soi's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Kuukaku?"

"Yeah. They're together, you know. They've been together for more than a century." She sighed. "It was hard for them being apart for so long. Now that Kisuke's name is cleared and he's allowed back here, he's not going to leave her. Maybe they'll even get married." She snorted in amusement at the thought.  


* * *

"Kisuke and Kuukaku? Really?" Shaolin interrupted Yoruichi's reminiscing for the first time. "That's...interesting."

Yoruichi looked startled. Then she grinned. "Yeah. Soi said the same exact thing. But I think she was happy to realize that any rumors of me being romantically involved with Kisuke were unfounded. And, it didn't hurt that I managed to work the fact that I was gay into that conversation, too." She looked pleased with herself.

Shaolin rolled her eyes. "Then why didn't you tell her that you loved her? That you would have died if not for thinking about her? Seems like that would have been a good time to do it."

"Not in the condition she was in," Yoruichi protested. "That's not something you just dump on someone who's recovering from the fight of their life: 'I'm glad to see you'll recover. And oh, by the way, I almost died but then I thought of you and I couldn't let myself die and cause you more pain.'"

"Ok, I can see your point," Shaolin smiled wryly. "The opportunity didn't come up later, though?"

"It's not the type of thing that comes up in casual conversation," Yoruichi replied.

"What about intimate conversations?" Shaolin persisted.

"We...don't really have intimate conversations," Yoruichi answered after a moment. "The things we talk about are mostly work-related." She looked sad. "In the Onmitsukido, only the strong survive and only the strongest will lead. Things like love and friendship are seen as a weakness. Even helping my own teammates is frowned upon. One of the first things I was taught was: 'If you see your allies losing, that's your chance. Don't step between them. Take the enemy down from behind. And if the enemy is so strong you can't even do that, then just watch your ally be killed.'"

Shaolin looked horrified. "You can't tell me you believe that."

Yoruichi shook her head, almost violently. "No, of course not. I think caring about people is beneficial. It creates the will to fight more strongly. My still being alive is proof of that." She paused. "But even so, it can be hard to talk about emotional things. And I thought, well, what if she doesn't feel the same? What if I was misreading her? If she didn't feel the same, it would be awkward for her to know that I felt so strongly about her. So, even though the opportunity may have come up, I never acted on it."

Shaolin's expression turned thoughtful. "In other words, you chickened out."

Yoruichi sighed. "Yes," she admitted. "But now...I think I would settle for awkwardness over never being able to see her again at all. At least if she's here, I know that she's ok."

"I'm pretty sure she does love you," Shaolin said. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about. But allow me to point out the obvious: if you're waiting for her to make a move, and she's waiting for you to make a move, then nothing will ever happen between you two. You don't want that regret, do you? You should always remember that tomorrow is never promised today, so live without regrets as much as you can. One of you has to make the first move; it might as well be you. And it's not like you have to start out with that story that you just told me. It could be something as simple as telling her you love her. If she feels the same, great! You can always tell her that story in the future."

Yoruichi stared at Shaolin. "You're too wise for your age. It's a little scary." She grinned, letting Shaolin know she was teasing.

"Does that mean you're going to take my advice, then?" Shaolin questioned.

"I'm going to tell Soi how I feel," Yoruichi confirmed. "No matter what else happens, I owe her that much. I owe myself that much."

"Good. Now I guess we just wait," Shaolin said.

**********

Kuukaku stood up. "I'm going to go get them. Have this ready when I come back, Kisuke," she stated.

"Are you sure she's ready?" Kisuke asked.

Kuukaku give him a look.

"I'll take that as a yes." He sighed. "Ok, but take your time getting to her. It's going to take a few minutes to get ready, and she'll probably shunpo here the second she sees you."

Kuukaku nodded and left the room, and Kisuke started setting up.

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And more notes. TwilightJoy here, hi! Thanks again everyone for reading, the alerts, faves, and reviews are all appreciated. You guys rock! ^__^ Thanks again to the YoruSoi FC at Bleach Asylum as well! So here's what brings me to write this....

My chapter is not going to be finished for a while, I have some cosplay commissions that I've fallen behind on. (And if you're reading this: Sorry to those of you whose costumes I am behind on, too! .) I'm working on it, but it's been fighting with me, so I might have to scrap what I've got up til now and start over. PhoenixChase has a couple projects planned while she is working on Chapter 16. She might have them up before mine depending on how much time she is able to spend on them, so please check her out if you have the chance.


	15. I'm Alive

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get another chapter! It's been a ridiculous long time and I'd like to thank everyone for not spamming me with hatemail in the interim. The title for this chapter, I'm Alive, is from Story of the Year's new album The Constant, which was released on 16 Feb 2010. I had initially planned to release the chapter the same day as the album came out, but it was a difficult chapter to write - to the point that PhoenixChase had to take it over for me. All credit for this chapter existing goes to her, and this one brings us nearly at the conclusion. I just want to let you know there's a new YoruSoi forum, administrated by PhoenixChase and SoldierG65434-2, which if you are interested can be found at teamyorusoi (dot) forumotion (dot) com. Thanks again for your patience and support, and we hope you enjoy the story!

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__

All the promise of smiles and happiness  
That's a dream I'm not willing to admit  
I'm not ready yet  
To face regret

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"I don't want to leave while we're waiting for word from your world, but our friends will wonder what is going on if we don't show up at the club," Yoruichi said, a slight frown marring her face.

"But how will we know if anything happens if we aren't here?" Soifon asked anxiously.

"I have my computer set up so that it will forward me any message coming through to my cell phone," Kisuke piped up. "It will be easier to explain leaving suddenly than to explain why you didn't show up at all."

Yoruichi nodded. "I guess that's the best we can do." She got up. "Is everyone ready?" she asked.

"No, I have to get dressed! Give me a few minutes," Kisuke said, hurrying to his room.

"Get dressed? But he's already wearing clothes," Soifon was confused.

"He always takes the longest to get ready. At least I know why now! He's getting himself all prettied up for Kuukaku's sake." She grinned.

"I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?" Kisuke groaned, emerging from his doorway. Soifon raised an eyebrow. Apparently Kisuke's idea of getting "prettied" up was putting his signature bucket hat on to cover his messy hair.

"No, not until you confess to Kuukaku that you looooooooove her," Yoruichi teased. "Speaking of Kuukaku, don't forget her cell phone. It won't be easy to woo her if she's mad at you." Kisuke paled and fled to Kuukaku's room as Yoruichi snickered a little. "I don't get to tease Kisuke very often, so I have to enjoy this while it lasts," she explained to Soifon.

Kisuke returned in a moment, patting his pocket. "Okay, I've got it. Let's go. I don't want to be late."

Yoruichi grabbed her car keys and opened the door, closing and locking it behind her after Kisuke and Soifon exited. "This might be a stupid question, but have you ever been in a car before, Soifon?" Yoruichi asked.

"I haven't. We don't have them in Soul Society, and I haven't had a reason to be in a car while I was in the world of the living."

"This should be interesting, then," Kisuke remarked. He grinned. "Consider yourself lucky that your first experience in a car is with Yoruichi and not Kuukaku. And don't tell her I said that, either!"

"No kidding." Yoruichi led them towards her car and opened the passenger side door for Soifon. "This is where Shaolin normally sits," she said, indicating the seat. Soifon took that as her cue to sit down. Yoruichi pulled some kind of strap from the side of the door and leaned over Soifon, snapping the strap into place. "That's a seatbelt," Yoruichi said. She stepped back and went around to her side of the car.

Soifon looked down at the seatbelt. She turned and saw that Kisuke was wearing one as well. When Yoruichi snapped hers into place, Soifon couldn't help but satisfy her curiosity. "What exactly do these seatbelts do?" she asked.

"If the car crashes, they keep you from flying out the windshield," Kisuke explained.

"It doesn't happen often, though. It's a precaution," Yoruichi added, seeing Soifon's startled expression. She decided to change the subject. "I should warn you, there is this guy who has a huge crush on Shaolin. He might try to hit on you at the club."

"Let me guess: his name is Enjoji Tatsufusa?"

Yoruichi looked surprised. "How did you know? Wait, he has a crush on you in your world, too, I bet."

Soifon nodded. "I'm surprised he would hit on Shaolin, though. Doesn't he know you two are together?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "He doesn't care. He's one of those guys convinced that I've corrupted Shaolin with my evil lesbian ways, so in his mind he's 'saving' Shaolin by trying to break us up." She grinned. "We both think it's hilarious."

Soifon frowned, wondering if Enjoji's counterpart in her own world thought similarly. She hoped not. Then she nearly did a double-take at Yoruichi's casual reference to her sexuality. Kusajishi Yachiru had once asked Soifon if she was a lesbian. She'd denied it then, but had to admit the definition fit once she read it. But she'd never imagined Yoruichi was into women.

"How long have you known that you were a lesbian?" Soifon asked.

"Only a few years," Yoruichi replied. "I come from a fairly well-known, rich family, so I didn't date when I was younger because my parents were super protective." She looked thoughtful. "When I finally started dating, I dated guys because that's what I thought was normal. You don't really see homosexual relationships in the media, and I didn't know anyone who was gay."

"So what made you realize you were a lesbian?" Soifon was fascinated by this possible insight into her own world's Yoruichi.

"Well it was really kind of a two part process. The first part was when Kisuke introduced me to this manga, _Strawberry Panic_," Yoruichi started. "It's what they call 'yuri,' where many of the female characters are lesbians. I liked it, so I looked it up on the internet and joined a few message boards. I discovered that the way I felt about certain things meant I was a lesbian. I also realized that there were other people like me."

"The second part was when I actually fell in love with a woman," Yoruichi continued. She smiled wistfully.

"Was it Shaolin?" Soifon guessed.

Yoruichi nodded. "The first time we held hands even, it was like nothing I'd experienced before. It just felt so right. I always thought it was a cliché, but it really felt like there was electricity between us. Still feels that way." She grew quiet. Soifon knew she must be thinking of Shaolin and wondering if they would see each other again.

"We're almost there," Kisuke spoke up, startling Soifon. He'd been so quiet she'd almost forgotten that he was in the car. "Nothing from my computer yet," he added, before she could ask.

Yoruichi parked, turning to look at Soifon. "Are you going to be okay for this?" she asked. "It's going to be harder faking that you're Shaolin around so many people. We can still turn back if you want."

Soifon took a breath and shook her head. "No, that's not necessary. Thank you for your concern, though," she said. She forced a smile. "With any luck I won't have to pretend for long." She fiddled with the seatbelt, figuring out how to release it, and opened the car door. "I have to admit that part of me is curious about this 'club' thing," she confessed. "They have them in the world of the living in my world as well, and people have bugged me to go before."

Yoruichi laughed. "Somehow I'm not surprised that you've never been. I had to drag Shaolin to go the first few times before she got used to it."

Soifon looked around as she followed Yoruichi and Kisuke inside. The club was packed with people, but not uncomfortably so. A large portion of the floor was dominated by a series of pool tables, all currently in use. Soifon was surprised to see a number of familiar people surrounding one table in particular. Kuchiki Byakuya, looking overdressed in a suit, was in the middle of taking a shot, while Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Kuchiki Rukia watched. Yoruichi greeted them with a nod before taking Soifon to a large booth just beyond the pool table, where the three of them joined more people that Soifon recognized.

"You're just in time. Patent Pending is up next," Shunsui Kyoraku drawled, taking a sip of what Soifon assumed was sake.

"We ordered drinks for you," Ukitake Juushiro added, a jovial smile on his face.

"I was going to spike them, but my lovely Nanao-chan wouldn't let me," Kyoraku mock pouted. Ise Nanao just snorted in response.

Shiba Kaien rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Look, they are setting up the stage!" Soifon held back a yelp at seeing Kaien alive. She followed his line of sight and saw a large stage near the back of the club.

"You'd think you'd never seen them performing before, the way you act," Kisuke teased.

Kaien shrugged. "What can I say? I'm proud of my little sister." He grinned.

Soifon's attention was drawn suddenly to the stage as more familiar faces streamed out from behind a curtain. Kuukaku came out and sat at her drums. Shuuhei Hisagi and Madarame Ikkaku followed, carrying guitars. Ayasegawa Yumichika and Matsumoto Rangiku came out last, blowing kisses to the crowd before taking their places. Soifon grinned a little. She could easily imagine those two acting similarly in her own world. The grin died in awe when they started performing. She had no idea they were all so talented. Yumichika played the violin like he was born to it, and Rangiku's voice was hypnotizing.

After a while, Soifon started looking around out of habit. She looked towards the bar, an area she hadn't really paid attention to before. The bartender was a woman with short blond hair and aquamarine eyes. She seemed familiar, but Soifon didn't want to bother Yoruichi by asking who she was. Soifon wracked her brain trying to remember. She had to stifle a gasp when it came to her where she'd seen the woman; she was the Espada that Aizen had cut down himself during the Fake Karakura Town battle.

Yoruichi, hearing Soifon's muted exclamation, turned to Soifon and upon seeing her expression followed the other woman's line of sight. "That's Tia Harribel," she said. "Do you know her in your world? You have a strange expression on your face."

Soifon hesitated. Then she shook her head. "It's a long story that I'd rather not get into, but suffice it to say, it makes me curious about what might have happened under different circumstances." Yoruichi looked at Tia with new wariness. "Not in a romantic way," Soifon added with a grin, guessing at what Yoruichi was thinking.

Yoruichi blushed. "I, uh, wasn't sure. I just worry a little sometimes, what with being Shaolin's first girlfriend."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Soifon asked, puzzled.

Yoruichi fidgeted, trying to find the right words. "Well, it's like this. We feel like we are perfect for each other, but I can't help but wonder how she knows I'm perfect for her if she's never had anyone to compare me to." She looked intently at Soifon. "In all the years you've lived, you've never fallen for anyone except for your world's Yoruichi?" she asked. "Doesn't that seem a little odd?"

Soifon shook her head. "I can't explain it very well, but there's no one else I would want to fall in love with." She looked thoughtful. "I guess when you know, you just know." She smiled wryly. "This makes it all the more ironic that I haven't confessed to Yoruichi yet."

Yoruichi smiled gently. "You'll get your chance, I'm sure of it." She was turning back toward the stage when she tensed, adopting a carefully neutral expression.

"Hello Shaolin!"

Soifon turned her head at the sound of Enjoji's voice. _That explains Yoruichi's sudden mood change_, she thought.

"You seem a little restless; were you looking for me? I know I'm a little late. Since I'm here now, why don't you join me?" He smiled brightly at her.

Soifon shook her head. "No thanks. I'm quite happy being here with Yoruichi," she replied as politely as she could.

"Forget about her. She can't love you the way I do. Besides, I have a table for us already," Enjoji persisted.

Soifon stared at him. "There is no 'us'," she stated coldly. "Go hit on someone else."

Enjoji's smile dropped. "Did you think of that yourself or did the dyke tell you to say that?" he sneered.

Soifon rolled her eyes. "Did your mother drop you on your head as a child or were you just born stupid?" she retorted. "I think I've made myself pretty clear, but you don't seem to understand what I am saying. Should I be speaking really slowly or using smaller words so that you can comprehend, perhaps? Being a lesbian means that I wouldn't ever love you, even if you weren't a homophobic prick."

Enjoji turned red and angrily threw his glass down at Soifon's feet. Kyoraku and Kaien both moved as if to stand up. Despite that, Enjoji stepped closer and opened his mouth to say something, but froze as a large hand clapped over his shoulder.

"You again. I shoulda known," Zaraki Kenpachi grunted. "Oughta know better by now than ta start trouble when I'm around. Out ya go." He escorted the troublemaker to the front, where he then shoved Enjoji out the door. Soifon was relieved as Kaien and Kyoraku sat back down and everyone at the table laughed.

"That was a nice one," Kyoraku complimented Soifon.

"Yeah, I don't think I've seen him that angry before," Yoruichi snickered.

Kaien frowned. "Why do you let him get away with insulting you and hitting on Shaolin, Yoruichi? You don't usually put up with idiots like that."

She shrugged. "He already thinks I'm evil incarnate. No need to prove him right."

"Still, it's not right," Kaien insisted.

"Ya talking about that Tatsufusa brat? I think ya oughta beat some sense into 'im, literally," Kuukaku said, standing at the edge of their table. Kisuke handed Kuukaku her cell phone and Soifon realized belatedly that the band wasn't performing now. _They must be taking a break_, she thought.

"The problem with that is that he might like it, though," Kyoraku said, straight-faced.

"Damn, you're probably right," Kuukaku conceded, an amused grin on her face. "I gotta get back, anyway, so it's for the better. I'd hate ta have ya start a fight without me!" She took a quick swig of Kyoraku's sake and then left for the stage.

Soifon noted with amusement that Kisuke watched Kuukaku's retreating form with a goofy grin. Since she was looking at him, she noticed right away when his expression changed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He caught Soifon looking at him curiously and nodded. She tried not to dance with joy.

"Hey Yoruichi, don't you drive a Scion tC?" Soifon turned at the sound of Yadomaru Lisa's voice.

"Yeah, why?" Yoruichi asked.

"Who'd you piss off? Someone slashed the tires and broke out the windows," Aikawa Love replied, a frown on his face.

Yoruichi's face darkened like a thundercloud. "That motherfucker," she growled. She stood up from the table and stormed out. Kisuke and Soifon looked at each and then followed her, catching up to her outside.

"Ah, I hate to bother you right now Yoruichi-san, but I just got a notification from my computer that everything is ready to send Soifon-san back to her world," Kisuke piped up.

Yoruichi stopped in her tracks. "Well, now we have our excuse for leaving early," she offered optimistically, and resumed walking towards her car. It was as Love had described. Yoruichi rubbed her forehead. "We'll have to get a ride from someone, though," she said.

Just then, a truck pulled up next to them. Soifon heard a whistle. "What happened to your car?" Muguruma Kensei asked.

"Some dumbass wanted to send a message," Yoruichi replied. "I don't suppose you could give us a ride home?"

"Sure, no problem. Hop in," Kensei said.

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," Yoruichi said. Kisuke took the front passenger side seat while Yoruichi and Soifon sat in the back. On the way home, Yoruichi made a few calls, making arrangements for her car to be towed to a shop and fixed. She sighed. "What a pain in the ass."

"You know who did that?" Kensei asked. "I could kick his ass for you."

"I don't think she wants him dead," Kisuke deadpanned.

Kensei grinned. "I'm just saying, if you need someone's ass kicked, I'm always up for a good fight."

"Thank you Kensei, but I'm going to try less violent methods first," Yoruichi laughed. "Well, we're here. Thanks for the ride. If you go back to club, let them know we didn't feel like coming back tonight."

Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Soifon filed out of the truck, waving as Kensei took off. They raced to the door and Yoruichi fumbled to unlock it. Finally she was successful and they rushed in, heading towards Kisuke's room.

Yoruichi looked at Soifon as Kisuke fiddled with his computer and other scientific-looking equipment. "So, you're going to confess to your world's Yoruichi, right?" She grinned.

Soifon looked somewhat sheepish. "The things I've seen and been through, you would think something like this would be easy in comparison."

Kisuke looked up at that. "You would think so," he agreed. "But the reality is that it's a very hard thing to do. You're basically offering up your heart to someone, and they can either take it, or break it."

"For what it's worth, I'm fairly certain that she'll give you her heart when you give her yours," Yoruichi reassured Soifon. "If your world's me is like, well, _me_, then she is probably in love with your world's Shaolin - which is you."

"The gate is ready," Kisuke interrupted. He smiled at Soifon. "Good luck."

Yoruichi gave Soifon a small hug and then patted her on the back, lightly pushing Soifon towards the gate. "Go get 'er, tiger." She grinned.

Soifon couldn't help but grin back. "That's the plan!" She waved and stepped into the Senkaimon gate.


	16. Chapter 16

Even while she was in human form, Yoruichi reminded Shaolin of a cat. The purple-haired woman wore an expression of practiced nonchalance, but in reality was alert to everything around them, ready to take action at a moment's notice. _More specifically_, _at Kuukaku's notice_, Shaolin thought to herself wryly, knowing exactly what it was that Yoruichi was waiting for.

"What is your world's Kuukaku like?" Yoruichi asked suddenly, startling Shaolin. "I mean, does she have both arms?"

Shaolin stared at Yoruichi as if the taichou had sprouted a second head. "What kind of question is that? Of course she has two arms."

Yoruichi looked amused at Shaolin's reaction. "I see. That's good to know."

Shaolin frowned, confused. "I don't understand the significance."

"Kuukaku here only has one arm. I was trying to find out if I needed to warn you so you didn't freak out when you see her," Yoruichi explained.

"Oh." Shaolin felt her face grow hot in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

Yoruichi waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's my fault. I probably could have approached that better." She smiled a little. "But now you know, so you won't be surprised."

Shaolin frowned again as something Yoruichi had told her earlier came back to her. "Why didn't she just have Orihime heal it? Didn't she know about how Orihime healed Soi's arm?"

Yoruichi's eyes darkened and she hesitated. "I don't know. I'm sure the thought occurred to her. I guess she had her reasons for not getting healed. Maybe she even thought it was too late, that there was a time limit to it." She shrugged. "Whatever the reason, she doesn't seem any worse off for it."

Shaolin started to ask how it had happened, but then stopped when Yoruichi stood up without warning.

"Did Kisuke figure something out?" Yoruichi asked, trying unsuccessfully to mask the eagerness in her voice.

"Yes. He's setting up everything right now," Kuukaku replied, her voice coming from behind Shaolin. Shaolin turned around. This world's Kuukaku didn't look much different from her world's version. The biggest difference was the missing arm, which Shaolin managed to avoid staring at, thanks to Yoruichi's warning. Kuukaku's eyes flickered briefly to Shaolin before settling back on Yoruichi. "By the time you get back there it should be ready."

Yoruichi looked at Kuukaku. "Do you want me to go slow so you can keep up?"

Despite the way it sounded, Kuukaku wasn't insulted. She shook her head. "I'll meet you there. Get going, woman." Her lips curled up into a knowing smirk. "I know how eager you are to have your Soi back, and this one here has to return to her world too." She nodded in Shaolin's direction.

Shaolin took that as her cue to climb onto Yoruichi's back in preparation for traveling by shunpo. Yoruichi nodded gratefully to Kuukaku, and then took off. Shaolin yelped as she almost fell off; Yoruichi was going much faster than she had before. The petite woman tightened her grip on the purple-haired Shinigami, holding on for dear life.

Luckily, it wasn't long until the familiar sight of Kuukaku's residence came into view. Yoruichi came to a stop, and Shaolin hopped to the ground in relief. "I feel like I just went on a ride with Kuukaku," she said as they started walking to the entrance of the building.

Yoruichi looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"She drives really fast! So riding with her is frightening and exhilarating at the same time. That's how shunpo feels, too," Shaolin explained.

Yoruichi chuckled as she led both of them down to Kisuke's laboratory. "I can agree with the exhilarating part."

"What's exhilarating?" Kisuke asked, popping his head out the door of the lab as the two women approached.

"Shunpo," Yoruichi answered. She raised an eyebrow at Kisuke. "What did you think I was talking about?" She walked past him into the lab, Shaolin following behind her.

"Probably something perverted, knowing him." Kuukaku answered from the doorway, having just arrived.

"Guilty as charged," Kisuke admitted cheerfully. Then his expression sobered. "So then, shall we begin?" Without waiting for an answer, he chanted the kido that would open a senkai gate, while Yoruichi and Shaolin looked on with barely contained enthusiasm.

"So, how does this work?" Shaolin asked curiously. "I'm not going to have an awkward meeting with myself-I mean, Soi-am I?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No, it doesn't work that way." Shaolin looked confused, so Yoruichi tried to explain. "Since there's a different opening on each end, there's also a different exit on each end. It doesn't actually meet in the middle, since trying to coordinate that would be near impossible."

Kisuke finished his chant. "Yoruichi's right. But, I did try to at least make it so that your exit won't be a hundred feet in the air or anything crazy like that!" He smiled helpfully.

Shaolin paled. "That happens?" She shuddered. "Um, thanks, I guess."

"Not a problem!" Kisuke said. He pointed at the now fully opened senkai gate. "There's your way back. Just keep going forward and you'll reach the exit eventually."

"So I guess this is goodbye," Shaolin said. "It was really nice to meet all of you, but I really hope I never see any of you again. No offense," she added, a small smile gracing her lips.

Yoruichi chuckled. "None taken." Then her expression sobered. "Thank you for your advice," she said. "You were very helpful. I wish there was some way I could repay you."

Shaolin shrugged. "If you take my advice and things work out, that's payment enough, I think. Even if I don't get to see it, the Soi of this world will benefit." She stepped into the gate. "Well, I better get going." She waved goodbye one last time before turning around and walking deeper into the void beyond the gate. Before long she was out of sight, and the gate closed.

From somewhere else in the room came the sound of a gate opening. Yoruichi turned quickly towards its source, relief and elation coursing simultaneously through her body as Soifon appeared. Their eyes met, and Yoruichi had the urge to touch Soifon, to make sure it was really her and that she was okay. At first Yoruichi resisted the urge, but it was too great. In the blink of an eye, the Shunshin was directly in front of Soifon, wrapping the younger Shinigami in a hug. "I love you, Soifon," Yoruichi confessed impulsively. It felt good to say it.

Soifon's response was to hug Yoruichi even tighter. "I love you, too, Yoruichi." She buried her face in Yoruichi's neck, breathing in her scent and committing it to memory. She felt like she could live in this moment forever. Then someone else's arms surrounded them and she stiffened.

"And I love both of you!" Kisuke announced dramatically. Soifon relaxed, not angry for once. The familiar goofball antics of Kisuke reminded her that she was home.

Yoruichi pushed him away. "You know how to ruin a mood," she said, half way between amused and irritated.

Kisuke grinned and fanned himself. "Oh, but you'll thank me later. Your first time shouldn't be in this decrepit old lab." Yoruichi and Soifon stared at him. "Come on, don't you have some place more romantic in mind for your first kiss?" he prompted. Yoruichi and Soifon both blushed, and then looked at each other almost shyly.

"I can think of a place," Yoruichi said slowly, looking at Soifon, who nodded her understanding. Yoruichi meant the sakura grove. A mischievous expression crossed the older woman's face. "Race you there!"

Before Soifon even had time to protest, the Goddess was gone. Even though she knew she wouldn't beat Yoruichi in a speed contest, Soifon followed as quickly as she could. Unsurprisingly, the faster woman was already there when the younger Shinigami arrived at the sakura grove.

For a moment they just looked at each other, rejoicing in the other's presence. Then Yoruichi took one of Soifon's hands. "Let's talk a walk," she suggested, golden eyes glowing happily.

"That would be lovely," Soifon replied, though she was reluctant to tear her own eyes away from Yoruichi's, now that she could gaze into them openly.

They started walking through the grove. Although the sun had already set, they were familiar enough with the terrain that navigating it was almost automatic, allowing them to focus on other things. Yoruichi was the first one to break the silence.

"Soifon, I-I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to tell you how I felt sooner," Yoruichi started. She frowned, a distant look in her eyes. Soifon refrained from interrupting upon seeing Yoruichi's expression, and Yoruichi continued. "Have you ever wanted something you knew you couldn't have so badly that you convinced yourself that you didn't want it so that not having it would be less painful?" She paused to take a breath after that mouthful and Soifon squeezed her hand, encouraging Yoruichi to go on.

"That's what love was for me: something I wanted that I couldn't have. In noble families, marriages are usually arranged, with no regard to whether there's love or not. So I decided early on that it would be better not to fall in love because chances of being in love with person I would be arranged to marry were pretty slim." Soifon made a sympathetic noise. "At first it was really easy. I didn't realize I was a lesbian, so not falling in love with the various boys that tried to woo me was a piece of cake. And then, even after I realized I was into women, most of them were straight, so I didn't have to worry about anything becoming of any crushes I might have had."

By that time, they had reached a small clearing, and Soifon sat down against a tree, pulling Yoruichi with her. "So what happened?"

Yoruichi pulled Soifon closer. "You happened, silly." At Soifon's surprised, but pleased look, Yoruichi explained.

"I was drawn to you from the beginning. At first I just chalked it up to the two of us being the only women in the Onmitsukidou." She grew quiet. "I realized what my feelings really were after I had to leave. After the war, I was afraid to tell you because I didn't know if you felt the same, and I didn't want to lose your friendship."

Soifon smiled wryly. "That's the same reason I didn't tell you," she admitted. "But then all _this_ happened. I woke up in some strange world, with no idea how to get back, or if I even could." She paused, swallowing thickly around a tightening in her throat. "I was really afraid I would be stuck there, never to see you again, never to have a chance to tell you I love you." Her voice broke.

Yoruichi twisted so that she was facing Soifon. Gently she brushed away a tear on Soifon's cheek before pulling the now sobbing woman to her. "I was afraid, too," she said softly, kissing her beloved on the forehead. The enormity of what she'd almost lost forever hit her then in full force, and she hugged Soifon tightly as tears made their way down her own face.

Feeling something wet on her shoulder, Soifon pulled slightly away from Yoruichi. "Yoruichi," she whispered, seeing the evidence of the Goddess crying. The sight made her ache for a moment before a wave of protectiveness washed over her. She touched her forehead to the dark woman's forehead in a gesture of comfort. "It's okay, we're both here now."

Yoruichi opened her eyes and met Soifon's. "We are," she confirmed. She smiled shakily at her girlfriend. "Look at you, comforting me when you're the one who started crying first." She laughed at herself a little.

"It's because I've never seen _you_ cry before," Soifon explained. She looked at Yoruichi seriously. "You don't have to be strong all the time, you know," she said, using the pads of her thumbs to dry Yoruichi's tears. "There's no shame in crying." She suddenly became aware of her proximity to the woman she loved. "Or in wanting to be…comforted." One thumb came to a stop and then brushed lightly over Yoruichi's lips as Soifon locked eyes with the Goddess.

"I can think of ways I'd like to be comforted," Yoruichi offered, happily following Soifon's train of thought.

Soifon didn't answer verbally, but pressed her lips to Yoruichi's; softly at first and then with more pressure as Yoruichi responded in kind, pulling Soifon into her lap. Yoruichi slipped her tongue in Soifon's mouth, making coherent thought all but impossible. Only conscious of Yoruichi's warmth and scent, Soifon wasn't sure how long they were there before Yoruichi pulled away and smiled at her. "This turned out to be quite romantic, don't you think?" she asked. She intertwined her hands with Soifon's slightly smaller ones.

"Yes, I suppose it did, Yoruichi-sama," Soifon replied. She nestled into Yoruichi, feeling happy and content.

Yoruichi chuckled. "All this intimacy and you're still calling me 'Yoruichi-sama'," she teased.

Soifon blushed. "Sorry, it's out of habit. I'll try not to," she said apologetically.

"Nah, don't worry about it. You're the only one who calls me that, so I figure I can consider it a pet name from you. Kind of like how I call you my Little Bee," Yoruichi replied. She gave Soifon a quick kiss and they sat in comfortable silence under the stars. Suddenly, Soifon's stomach growled, loudly.

"Was that your stomach, Soifon?" Yoruichi asked, amused. "I thought I should be worried about a hollow for a moment there," she teased.

Soifon blushed. "I haven't eaten since this morning," she explained.

"It's no surprise that you're hungry, then," Yoruichi said. She stood up and offered Soifon a hand. "Let's go to my place for a bite to eat. I haven't eaten much today, either." Soifon nodded, taking Yoruichi's hand and getting to her feet.

The main house wasn't that far from the sakura grove, so they walked. It was easy to forget how humbly Yoruichi lived from the outside, but inside, it was another matter. Unlike most nobles, Yoruichi didn't have any servants, so the house, although not dirty, was less than tidy. Yoruichi led Soifon to the kitchen.

"I still have fish, but you're welcome to check the fridge and see if there's anything else you'd like. Help yourself out once you decide what to eat," Yoruichi offered, as she fixed herself a plate of food.

Soifon hesitated, and then her stomach growled again, making her decision for her. She piled up food on a plate and sat across from Yoruichi. As usual, the Goddess was shoveling her food into her mouth in an undignified manner, although Soifon found it endearing.

Yoruichi paused as she felt Soifon's eyes on her. "Want some sea food?" she asked, opening her mouth. She grinned. "Get it? See-food?" She laughed at her own joke and continued eating.

Soifon snorted, but her lips curled in amusement. It was such a mundane thing, eating with Yoruichi; nevertheless, Soifon wouldn't trade this moment for anything. A sense of happiness welled up within her as she thought about how she would get to have moments like this all the time now.

"What are you thinking about with such a happy look on your face?" Yoruichi asked, curious. Her eyes on Soifon were startling in their intensity.

Soifon met her eyes squarely and smiled. "I'm just thinking about how grateful I am that I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

Yoruichi's eyes softened. "That _is_ something to be happy about," she agreed. "I can't think of anyone other than you that I would spend forever with." Even though it sounded cheesy, Yoruichi was completely sincere. She smiled at Soifon before taking another bite of food.

Soifon took the opportunity to ask what was on her mind while Yoruichi's mouth was full. "Yoruichi, can I stay here tonight?" She couldn't help blushing as she said it.

Yoruichi coughed and then held up her hand, signaling Soifon to give her a minute while she finished chewing. She grinned at Soifon as soon as she was done. "You want to stay the night already? Are we talking sleeping together, or," she paused to make air quotes, "'sleeping together'?"

"Maybe both," Soifon replied honestly. "It's just that-"

"You just got back, and you don't want to leave me so soon if you don't have to?" Yoruichi completed her sentence.

"Y-yes, that's it exactly! How did you know?" Soifon asked.

Yoruichi smiled sheepishly. "I was going to ask you to stay tonight for the same reason," she explained. "You just beat me to it."

"So it's settled. I'm staying here tonight," Soifon said happily. "I'm really staying here tonight," she repeated under her breath, as if to remind herself she wasn't dreaming. Out of nowhere, Yoruichi pinched her. "Hey, what was that for?" Soifon protested.

"Isn't that what you do when you want to make sure you're not dreaming?" Yoruichi teased. She leaned over and kissed Soifon. "It isn't a dream, my little bee. It's very, very real," she said, unknowingly repeating her other self.

Meanwhile, in the other universe…

"I wish I could turn into a cat!"


End file.
